Overview

• France faces Qatar in their opening match of the 2025 Handball World Championship, held in Porec, Croatia, at 6:00 PM local time.
• The French team is aiming to recover from a disappointing Olympic quarterfinal loss at Paris 2024, where they were eliminated by Germany in a narrow defeat.
• This tournament marks France's first major competition without handball legend Nikola Karabatic, who retired after the Olympics, alongside other key players like Vincent Gérard and Valentin Porte.
• The preliminary round includes matches against Kuwait on January 16 and Austria on January 18, with France expected to advance comfortably to the main round.
• The 2025 World Championship is co-hosted by Croatia, Denmark, and Norway, with the final scheduled in Oslo on February 2.