In any good self-respecting handball tournament, you need a France-Denmark.
The 2023 World Cup will not escape this and, chic, it is scheduled for this Sunday at 8:30 p.m. in the final.
Yes, chic, because this clash between French and Danes is the best thing to do lately.
After the Swedes, European champions, in half, the tricolor Olympic champions will now challenge the reigning world champions, who beat Spain (26-23).
Who says better ?
We can even add the double world champions, since the Danes triumphed in 2019 and 2021. In Stockholm, the Vikings, Olympic champions in 2016 (beating… France), will attempt an unprecedented feat: win a third world title at the following.
That, even France has never done.
In a World Championship, Denmark has not been defeated since January 22, 2017. On that day, the Danes lost against Hungary, in Albertville in the round of 16 of the tournament organized in France and won by the Blues .
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The Danes have since remained on a series of 30 games without defeat!
Not bad, even if, ten days ago during the main round, the world champions were hooked by Croatia (32-32).
A small bump in an impressive course.
Well, let's also recognize that the Red and Whites had a (too?) easy way to the final.
Belgium, Bahrain, the United States or Tunisia that they crushed are not giants in this game.
The 42nd confrontation between the two nations
Sunday will be the 42nd meeting between the two nations.
France lead 23-17 (with a draw).
It has especially become the classic of classics for a good decade.
France-Denmark was the poster for the small final of the Euro last year with a victory in overtime for the Danes.
It was that of the final of the Tokyo Games, in 2021 for a success of the… Blues, who have not experienced the intoxication of gold since and have been chasing the world title since 2017. In friendly, Golden League or in a great tournament, these two great countries of the sticky ball meet every year.
When we think of Denmark, we also inevitably think of its playing master, the one who wears a headband in his long hair.
He made PSG happy from 2012 to 2022 and he is one of the greatest players of all time.
At 35, Mikkel Hansen is still there, still going strong.
He will be poison number 1 for the Blues.
The Parisians of the France team will also find another former friend, Henrik Mollgaard, who played with them between 2015 and 2018. He too returned to the country and is now enjoying the heyday of Aalborg.
