Croatia beat Iceland in the match for third place at the EHF EURO 2026, winning 34-33 to take home the bronze!
This marks Croatia’s second consecutive medal, following their silver at last year’s World Championship.
Croatia started the game in brilliant form. Goalkeeper Matej Mandić set the tone with a string of key saves, sparking a confident attacking display led by Tin Lučin. The Nexe left back was unstoppable in the first half, scoring six goals and providing three assists, leading Croatia in both scoring and playmaking.
Dagur Sigurdsson’s side held a six-goal lead by the 19th minute, but Iceland managed to reduce the deficit before the break, with the scoreboard showing 17–14 at half-time.
Croatia maintained its lead throughout the second half, with Iceland never managing to pull ahead — though the final minutes were anything but calm. Marin Jelinić stepped up when it mattered most, scoring all three of his goals in the game’s most tense moments.
In the final minute, Filip Glavaš missed a penalty that could have sealed the win and then conceded one at the other end, allowing Iceland to close the gap to just one goal. But Glavaš made amends seconds later, scoring Croatia’s final goal to secure a 34–33 victory and another medal for the national team.
Tin Lučin once again led the charge with nine goals and nine assists, while Iceland’s Ingi Omar Magnusson netted 12, ten of them from the penalty line.
Later tonight, Denmark and Germany face off in the final, both chasing their third European title. Denmark previously triumphed in 2008 and 2012, while Germany lifted the trophy in 2004 and 2016.
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