Junior Men's Team Falls to France, Secures 8th Place
Croatia lost the 7th-place match 29:36, but finishes the tournament with a better placement than two years ago.
Croatia lost the 7th-place match 29:36, but finishes the tournament with a better placement than two years ago.
Croatia's junior men's handball team suffered their sixth consecutive defeat at the World Championship, losing to France 29:36 in the 7th-place match on Saturday, August 9, 2026. Despite the loss, the 8th-place finish represents a significant improvement over the 13th position from the previous tournament.
The match started nervously on both sides, with the first goal coming only at the beginning of the 4th minute when the French converted a penalty. Croatia kept pace until the 10th minute, when the opponents scored three consecutive goals and took a three-goal lead for the first time (3:6).
Midway through the first half, France extended their lead by another goal, which was the largest margin in the opening 30 minutes. After a timeout, the Croatian bench managed to regroup. Goalkeeper Andrej Vito Gorički made some outstanding saves, and a well-functioning attacking unit brought Croatia within one goal in the 20th minute (8:9).
France did not allow a complete comeback and pulled ahead by three again (10:13). Nevertheless, Croatia refused to give up and closed the gap to just one goal three more times before the break. The teams went to halftime with France holding a slim lead (15:16). In the first half, Croatia shot at 58% efficiency, while France hit 57%. Gorički recorded seven saves, while the French goalkeeper made five.
France opened the second half with two quick goals to restore a three-goal lead (16:19). Croatia stayed within striking distance for eight more minutes, but then came a complete breakdown. A run of six consecutive goals saw France go from 20:23 to an insurmountable 20:29, while the Croatian players failed to score for a full ten minutes.
Although the team did not give up, France showed greater quality and depth in their roster, calmly seeing out the match. The second half alone ended 14:20 in favor of the opponents. Croatia's top scorer was David Bajan with six goals, while Luka Rogić added five. The Croatian goalkeepers combined for 12 saves. For France, Zachary Derminy and Isaac Saillard were the most effective, each scoring eight goals.
With this victory, France secured their fifth win of the tournament, while Croatia suffered their sixth consecutive loss. The 8th-place finish is nonetheless a step forward compared to their 13th-place showing two years ago. The last medal in this age group, a silver, was won by the Croatian junior men's team ten years ago.
