​France and Norway showed the most spectacular match of the Women’s World Handball Championship, and the final result turned out to be unexpected: the Scandinavians, the crowned champions, lost with a score of 24:23.

>> Romania, the last match of the Women’s Handball World Cup – start time and who is broadcasting the game

Norway lost to France at the Women’s Handball World Cup

At the beginning of the match, Norway led with a score of 3:0, but the French fought back (they even had 11:9) and the score was equal at halftime (12:12).

In the second half, France pulled away to three goals (17-14, 18-15), but Norway recovered and appeared to be favorites to win (22-21 and 23-22).

Norway needed at least a draw to finish top of the group (they had the better goal difference), but France made it 24-23, with goalkeeper Laura Glauser (CSM Bucharest) making a decisive save on winger Stine Skogrand’s shot when they were still only 10 seconds of play.

Thus, France won the Main Group II and will play in the quarter against the surprise chosen Czech Republic. Norway, on the other hand, will have a much tougher task (at least on paper) with the Netherlands, who beat Spain (29-21) in a replay of the 2019 final to send the Iberians home.

The result of the match France – Norway:

CM women’s handball, evening results

Argentina – Ukraine 25-20

Czech Republic – Brazil 27-30

Angola – South Korea 33-31

Netherlands – Spain 29-21

Slovenia – Austria 32-27

France – Norway 24-23

Main group II, standings

1. France 10p / 158:128

2. Norway 8p / 172:115

3. Slovenia 6p / 141:143

4. Angola 4p / 135:153

5. Austria 2p / 137:177

6. South Korea 0p / 132:159

Main group IV, standings

1. Netherlands 10p / 178:115

2. Czech Republic 6p / 138:130

3. Brazil 6p / 150:128

4. Spain 6p / 132:127

5. Argentina 2p / 115:155

6. Ukraine 0p / 104:162.

What will the fourth board look like

1st place in GP1 vs. 2nd place in GP3

France against the Czech Republic

1st place in GP3 vs. 2nd place in GP1

Netherlands vs. Norway

>> Here you can read a comprehensive presentation of the 2023 Women’s Handball World Cup

Romania’s record at each World Handball Championship in which it participated

World Cup Spain 2021 – 13th place: 3 wins / 0 draws / 3 losses / 202-146 (goal difference +56)

WC 2019 Japan – 12th place: 3 wins / 0 draws / 5 losses / 181-227 (-46)

World Cup 2017 Germany – 10th place: 4 wins / 0 draws / 2 losses / 150-140 (+10)

World Cup 2015 Denmark – 3rd place: 5 wins / 0 draws / 4 losses / 270-225 (+45)

WC 2013 Serbia – 10th place: 4 wins / 1 draw / 2 losses / 161-127 (+34)

WC 2011 Brazil – 13th place: 2 wins / 1 draw / 3 losses / 166-183 (-17)

2009 World Cup China – 8th place: 5 wins / 1 draw / 3 losses / 306-231 (+75)

2007 World Cup France – 4th place: 7 wins / 0 draws / 3 losses / 323-284 (+39)

2005 WC Russia – 2nd place: 9 wins / 0 draws / 1 loss / 322-249 (+73)

2003 World Cup Croatia – 10th place: 4 wins / 1 draw / 3 losses / 244-206 (+38)

WC 2001 Italy – 17th place: 1 win / 0 draws / 4 losses / 129-135 (-6)

1999 World Cup in Denmark and Norway – 4th place: 5 wins / 0 draws / 4 losses / 250-196 (+54)

1997 German World Cup – 12th place: 3 wins / 0 draws / 3 losses / 186-161 (+25)

WC 1995 Austria-Hungary – 7th place: 6 wins / 0 draws / two losses / 232-175 (+57)

1993 World Cup Norway – 4th place: 4 wins / 0 draws / 3 losses / 156-129 (+27)

World Cup 1990 South Korea – 7th place: 1 win / 1 draw / 3 losses / 90-100 (-10)

1986 WC Netherlands – 5th place: 5 wins / 1 draw / 1 loss / 151-129 (+22)

World Cup 1982 Hungary – 8th place: 3 wins / 3 draws / 1 loss / 159-122 (+37)

World Cup 1978 in Czechoslovakia – 7th place: 3 wins / 0 draws / two losses / 78-67 (+11)

1975 USSR WC – 4th place: 4 wins / 0 draws / 3 losses / 102-83 (+19)

WC 1973 Yugoslavia – 2nd place: 4 wins / 0 draws / 1 loss / 67-52 (+15)

Netherlands Championship 1971 – 4th place: 2 wins / 1 draw / 2 losses / 51-51 (0)

World Cup Germany 1965 – 6th place: 0 wins / two draws / one loss / 18-21 (-3)

1962 World Cup in Romania – 1st place: 4 wins / 1 draw / 0 losses / 41-17 (+24)

World Cup 1957 Yugoslavia – 9th place: 0 wins / 0 draws / two losses / goal difference 2-9

Total: 164 matches / 91 wins / 12 draws / 61 losses / 4037-3465 (+572) goal difference.

Romania’s best result in the entire history of participation in the Women’s Handball World Cup

Romania’s best results were: the gold won at the 1962 tournament held in our country. 9 teams took part in the competition, and in the grand final, Romania beat Denmark 8-5.

This team included: Liliana Borcha, Ana Starck, Edeltraut Franz, Juliana Nako, Aurelia Soke-Selagianu, Constanta Dumitrascu, Antoineta Ocelea-Vasilie, Felicia Giorgitse, Iryna Nagy, Cornelia Constantinescu, Aurora Leonte-Niculescu, Josefina Ugron, Martina Constantinescu -Shape, Elena Hedesiu, Victoria Dumitrescu and Ana Nemets. Trainers: Constantin Popescu, Nikulae Nedeff.

Romania later won three more medals: silver in 1973 (defeated in the final 16-11 against host nation Yugoslavia), also silver in 2005 (lost in the grand final 28-23 to Russia) and bronze in 2015 ( 31-22 against Poland in the minor final).

The World Cup is being held for the first time in three countries, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, from November 29 to December 17, with 32 national teams taking part. Europe has 16 places at the World Cup, and three of them have been taken directly by the host teams. They were joined by Montenegro, France and the Netherlands after the EC 2022 ranking.