Norway’s handball team has had a dismal start at their home World Championship, suffering two defeats in the preliminary round. They lost to Portugal 28:31, leaving them with no points heading into the main round. Previously, they fell to Brazil 26:29 and were later overwhelmed by the USA 33:17. Meanwhile, Croatia also struggled with a loss to Egypt but remains in the competition with two points. Fans and media have expressed disappointment over Norway’s performance, with calls for improvement.
Norwegians Struggle in Their Handball World Championship: A Disastrous Start
In a disappointing turn of events, Norway’s handball team has kicked off their home World Championship on a weak note, facing two defeats in the preliminary round that jeopardize their chances of progressing. The co-hosts are now at risk of an early exit, and another host nation is also facing challenges.
Norway’s latest setback came against Portugal, where they lost 28:31 (13:14) in Oslo, despite the presence of Crown Prince Haakon. This defeat leaves the team with no points as they head into the main round, while Portugal advances with a perfect score of four points.
As the reigning vice-world champions from 2017 and 2019, Norway had already secured a spot in the main round prior to the match. However, only the top two teams from each group will move on to the quarter-finals, making their path extremely difficult. The atmosphere was grim as approximately 10,000 passionate fans witnessed their team’s disappointing performance.
Disheartening Losses and Fan Reactions
Norway began this World Championship with an unexpected 26:29 loss to Brazil. Local media described it as “a terrible start,” while others lamented, “We are almost ruining the tournament before it even begins.” Superstar Sander Sagosen expressed his frustration, stating, “This is frustrating. We now have a knife at our throat for the rest of the World Championship.” Following this, they suffered a 33:17 defeat against the USA, effectively ending their hopes.
Meanwhile, Brazil has also advanced to the main round with two points in hand. As the Norwegians, led by Sagosen, looked on in disbelief at the rapidly emptying arena, a commentator from Viaplay exclaimed, “The World Championship is ruined! A complete failure.” The newspaper ‘Verdens Gang’ echoed these sentiments with the headline: “World Championship fiasco for Norway – Absolutely terrible.”
Croatia Faces Its Own Challenges
From a German perspective, the situation is intriguing, as they could face Norway’s potential opponent in the upcoming quarter-finals. The main round group III remains open after Norway’s difficult preliminary round. On Monday, the undefeated Spanish and Swedish teams will battle it out to see who joins main round group III with the best prospects.
In a contrasting performance, Switzerland advanced to the main round after a strong showing, defeating Poland 30:28 (18:15) in Herning, Denmark. The German team, having secured three victories in the preliminary round, is well-positioned to advance further, needing only to maintain their performance against Denmark, Italy, and Tunisia to clinch a quarter-final spot.
Should Germany reach the quarter-finals, the match would take place on January 29 in Oslo. However, Norway will require a miraculous turnaround to remain in contention by that date. The World Championship final is also set to occur in Oslo on February 2.
Additionally, Croatia, another co-host, faced a setback with a 24:28 loss to the undefeated Egyptians in Zagreb. Without their captain Domagoj Duvnjak, who has been sidelined due to a calf injury, Croatia’s performance has been lackluster, yet they still carry two points into the main round, retaining a realistic chance of progressing to the knockout stage.