Croatia Awaits Direct Qualification for the World Cup
Croatia's handball team has suffered their third defeat at the European Junior Championship being held in Cluj, Romania. After losing to Denmark in the first round and Spain in the main phase of the competition, the team coached by Denis Špoljarić has been defeated in the first match of the playoff for 9th to 16th place. Austria won with a score of 30:25.
Croatia is now waiting for the continuation of the playoff for 13th to 16th place, with the first match against the host team Romania, who was convincingly defeated by Portugal (34:42) in the playoff. This match is extremely important because the first 15 teams from the European Championship will qualify directly for the 2027 World Junior Championship, which will be held in North Macedonia. A victory against Romania would mean achieving that goal.
It would be a great shame if this generation were to remain without a participation in the world tournament, as the team has several very talented players, including Matko Moslavac, Petar Šprem, Berislav Tokić, Loris Hromina, and others. Petar Šprem was the most efficient in the Croatian team against Austria, scoring eight goals, while Matko Moslavac and Marko Maganić scored four each.
What's next?
Croatia will continue the playoff for 13th to 16th place, with the first match against Romania. This will be an extremely important match because the first 15 teams from the European Championship will qualify directly for the 2027 World Junior Championship.
Why is this important for Croatia?
A victory against Romania would mean achieving the goal of direct qualification for the 2027 World Junior Championship. It would be a great shame if this generation were to remain without a participation in the world tournament, as the team has several very talented players.
What's next?
Croatia will continue the playoff for 13th to 16th place, with the first match against Romania. This will be an extremely important match because the first 15 teams from the European Championship will qualify directly for the 2027 World Junior Championship.
Last results
Last result: Portugal 2-1 Croatia (2026-07-02). Recent form (last 5): 3W-0D-2L (LLWWW, most recent first); lost the last 2. Next fixture: vs Czechia (away, 2026-09-26) (4th in the table).
Next fixture
Croatia will face Czechia in the playoff for 13th to 16th place, with the match being held in Czechia on September 26, 2026.
