Denmark provided once again an entertaining start to an IHF Men’s World Championship edition, improving their unbeaten streak to 29 matches, after clinching a 47:22 win against Algeria in the Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025 opener.

GROUP B
Denmark vs Algeria 47:22 (20:11)

Facing the reigning world champions in the maiden match at one edition of the IHF Men’s World Championship is always difficult, but for Algeria, it was really an occasion to test themselves against one of the best teams of the world.

Denmark are at home and trying a balancing act between rebuilding their team, after Mikkel Hansen and Niklas Landin retired after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and still being relevant in the big scheme of things, aiming to secure their fourth consecutive title, an unprecedented feature in the world handball flagship competition.

However, the start was rusty, with Denmark seeing Algeria taking a 4:3 lead after five minutes, as the usually reliable Mathias Gidsel missed five shots. Nevertheless, when Denmark really got into the groove, they were unstoppable.

Experienced back Rasmus Lauge had four goals in the first eight minutes to turn the tables, with two 4:0 unanswered runs from Denmark basically deciding the match. Then, Denmark were leading 14:7, with the gap ballooning to nine goals by the end of the first half, 20:11.

But then, Gidsel started going into his groove and finished the match with 10 goals, as Denmark continued to press, gunning for a record. As Emil Nielsen finished the match with 16 saves and a 47% saving efficiency, the gap grew bigger and bigger, with 11 of Denmark’s outfield players scoring at least one goal.

Left wing Emil Jakobsen scored eight times, left back Simon Pytlick added six more goals, while line player Lasse Andersson scored five more, with Denmark cruising to a 47:22 win, one of their largest in history at the IHF Men’s World Championship.

The Scandinavian side tied the number of the goals scored against Australia, 47, in the 47:12 win at Sweden 2011, delivering the performance with relative ease, with a 75% shooting efficiency, while Algeria mustered only a 42% shooting efficiency, which was their undoing, as well as their goalkeeping efficiency, only 19%.

Denmark will face Tunisia in the next match, which could see the Scandinavian side progress to the next phase, while Algeria are facing Italy in a must-win situation.

hummel Player of the Match: Emil Nielsen (Denmark)