2016 world champions take on European champions in epic encounter

We have arrived at the final. Game number 72.

Germany are the favourites in the clash against Spain, having not lost a game in a year and dropping just two periods in the European Championship – which they won – and now in a World Championship final.

The team which took one of those periods will be one they face in the final, Spain.

At 18:00 EEST, we will find out if Spain can get revenge for their 1-2 semi-final EHF Beach Handball EURO defeat last year. In that match, Germany took the first period (22:18), but Spain came back to take a clear second (27:11). However, the shoot-out did not go the way of the Spanish side, as they lost 2:5.

We spoke to the two teams ahead of the final, with Spanish pivot Maria Asuncion Batista Portero, looking to rekindle passion and emotion from their 2016 world title. 

“We did it one time, why not another one?,” said Batista to ihf.info. “We have to look back to see what we made.”

On the other side, Germany coach Alexander Novakovic told us that the “...biggest handball federation in the world is back in the beach handball category and we are really, really proud and very honoured to play in a World Championship final.”

We will find out soon what happens. 

Hosts Greece will be desperate to beat Netherlands in the bronze-medal match and podium on home sand. The two teams also met at the Women’s EHF Beach Handball EURO 2021, with Netherlands earning a 2-1 main round win.

“We will be focused on the medal,” said Greece specialist Eleni Mournou to ihf.info. “We want one medal in Greece and for sure we will go for it.”

The remaining games will decide 5-16 places, with the 12:00 EEST clash between Brazil and Denmark, determining the fifth – and last – Greece 2022 direct qualification spot for the 2023 ANOC World Beach Games. Denmark won the first edition of the multi-sport event in Doha, at Qatar 2019.

Argentina will be hoping to equal their best-ever ranking of seventh, when they face debutants Portugal in their 7/8 placement match. Norway and Uruguay (11/12), Australia and Mexico (15/16) and Hungary vs Thailand (9/10) will not be able to improve on their best-ever rankings, although if the USA were to beat Vietnam in their 13/14 placement match, it would beat their 14th spot gained at their debut, in 2018.