Croatia dramatically won the bronze medal at the European Men’s Handball Championship.
Croatia beat Iceland 34-33 in the bronze medal match of the 2026 European Men’s Handball Championship at Jyske Bank Boxen in Henning, Denmark, on the 1st (local time). With this, Croatia won the European Championship medal for the first time in six years since the silver medal at the 2020 event.
Croatia was the first to shake off the pain of the semifinal defeat. Croatia, with goalkeeper Matej Mandicé’s brilliant defense early in the game and Tin Lučin’s fierce attack, ran to 11-6, five points in the first 19 minutes of the game. Iceland chased up to two points at the end of the first half by increasing their defensive concentration, but Croatia finished the first half with a 17-14 lead.
사진 확대 Photo by Croatia, who won the bronze medal at the 2026 European Men’s Handball Championship, Photo Source = Croatia Handball Association
In the second half, a big bad news came to Iceland. Around the eighth minute of the second half, Viggoé Kristjánsson was sent off with a red card, putting him in a numerical inferiority. Croatia did not miss this opportunity and regained a five-point lead, and with 10 minutes to go, they seemed to secure their victory by widening the gap to 29-23, six points.
But Iceland’s potential was scary. Iceland, which had a scary chase centered on Omar Ingi Magnússon, followed by a point difference (33-32) with one minute left in the match, aiming for a reversal.
In a moment of urgency, Croatia’s Philipp Glavaš calmly scored and sealed the match with 24 seconds left.
The hero of the day was definitely Teen Ruchin. He was involved in more than half of the team’s offense, scoring nine goals and nine assists. He was named the MVP of the game, overwhelming Iceland on both sides of offense and defense. Iceland’s Magnusson fought hard with 12 goals, but his team’s defeat faded.
Croatian center back Luka Cindric told the European Handball Federation, “It was a very difficult game, but I’m really proud of the team for fighting until the end. For us, this bronze medal is worth the same as the gold medal, he said. “The last 10 minutes were a bit confusing and urgent, but we showed strong mentality throughout this tournament.”
“Croatia is one of the best teams in the world to control the game,” said Iceland coach Snorri Steinn Gu ð jónsson. I felt sorry for missing many opportunities in the beginning, and in the end, I lost to a better team,” he said, congratulating the opponent’s victory with regret.
[Kim Yongpil, MK Sports Reporter]