France – Croatia in the semi-finals of the Handball World Cup: on which free-to-air channel and at what time can you watch the match this Thursday evening ?

Luka Karabatic saved the Blues at the last second. FFHandball – Icon Sport – FFHandball – Icon Sport

Six months after the Olympic fiasco, the French team passed the obstacle of the quarter-finals of the World Cup, Tuesday against Egypt (34-33) in Zagreb, and will meet Croatia in the last four.

Six months after the Olympic fiasco, the French team overcame the World Cup quarter-final hurdle on Tuesday against Egypt (34-33) in Zagreb, and will meet Croatia in the last four thanks to an incredible goal from Luka Karabatic at the siren. The pivot and former captain fired from midfield on the kick-off, played quickly by goalkeeper Rémi Desbonnet, just after the Egyptian equalizer by Yahia Omar five seconds from the end. The goal, in the cage deserted by the Egyptian goalkeeper whom the Pharaohs had taken off to take advantage of a numerical superiority on their attack, was validated after video refereeing. And the Blues exulted after this incredible scenario, similar to the one experienced in the semi-final of Euro-2024, with a goal on the gong from Elohim Prandi offering an extra time against Sweden.

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“We had said, after the Games, sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry. Here we laugh for three tenths of a second, it falls on our side”, savored Desbonnet. Karabatic's shot indeed completely crossed the goal line 3/10th of a second after the buzzer. “I looked at the scoreboard, I saw that there were three seconds left, I said to myself we have to go all out, we have to try. I managed to get the ball, I shot” said Karabatic, taking advantage of these “unique moments”. “It's a crazy scenario, this time with a nice happy ending which is a superb illustration of the self-denial of this group, of the strength of its collective, symbolized by Loulou (Karabatic), who accompanies the group in a different role but is always at the service of the team”, stressed the coach Guillaume Gille.

The memory of 2009

The Blues trembled but they will return to the Arena Zagreb on Thursday, which promises to be the volcano it was during the 2009 World Cup final between France and Croatia, won by the Blues (24-19). And for the qualification of the Croatians at the end of the suspense, already, three hours earlier against Hungary (31-30). But it was no longer for the second semi-final, emptied of three-quarters of its spectators.

At less the Blues were not disoriented after having already traced in front of a meager crowd their route to the quarter-finals, a stage where it had abruptly stopped this summer at the Olympic Games against Germany (35-34 after extra time). They are this time back in the last four, systematically reached at the World Cup in the 21st century except in 2013, after a victory pulled by the hair while they had never been pushed to their limits since the start of the competition.

The semi-final of the Handball World Cup between France and Croatia will be broadcast on Thursday, January 30 at 9 p.m. on beIN SPORTS 1 and in the clear on TFX (channel 11).