PHOTOS: 35,000 Croatians welcome handball team home
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport

(Photo credit © Uros Hocevar / kolektiff)
ZAGREB, 4 Feb (Hina) – Tens of thousands of fans packed Zagreb’s central Ban Josip Jelačić Square on Monday to welcome the Croatian men’s handball team, who won the silver medal at the World Championship in Oslo on Sunday.
The 29th edition of the IHF World Men’s Handball Championship was held in Croatia, Denmark and Norway, with the final match being played in Oslo where Denmark won the title for four times in a row.
The main square in Zagreb was completely filled today, and the atmosphere resembled that of July 2018, when the football team returned after winning World Cup silver.

(Photo credit © Uros Hocevar / kolektiff)
“You are an absolutely crazy nation! I love you, I love my team, but most of all, I love (goal-keeper Ivan) Pešić,” said coach Dagur Sigurdsson to the crowd at the square.
With this silver medal, long-standing captain and one of the best handball players in the world over the past two decades, Domagoj Duvnjak, bid farewell to the national team.

(Photo credit © Uros Hocevar / kolektiff)
“This team wouldn’t have reached the final without you. That’s for sure. Continue supporting these guys in the future, no matter what happens,” Duvnjak told the fans.

(Photo credit © Jozo Cabraja / kolektiff)
“I couldn’t have imagined this many people. Thank you all for the welcome,” said one of Croatia’s best players during the World Championship, goalkeeper Dominik Kuzmanović, in a brief statement.
The Croatian men’s handball team landed at Zagreb Airport earlier Monday afternoon where they were welcomed by Sport Minister Tonči Glavina, and the Mayor of Zagreb, Tomislav Tomašević.

(Photo credit © Uros Hocevar / kolektiff)
Upon entering Croatian airspace, the plane carrying the Croatian national team was escorted by Rafale fighter jets which performed formation flying in honour of the world vice-champions, and then flew over the main Josip Jelačić Square, where tens of thousands of fans had gathered to greet the medal winners.
After the ceremonial part of the welcome at the airport, the Croatian handball players boarded a bus and headed towards Ban Jelačić Square, where they received a hero’s welcome.

(Photo credit © Uros Hocevar / kolektiff)
The event at the square featured performances by national pop and rock stars: Daleka obala, Prljavo kazalište, Thompson, and Zaprešić Boys.

(Photo credit © Jozo Cabraja / kolektiff)
15 medals from major competitions
The silver from the latest World Championship is the 15th medal for Croatian handball players at the biggest international competitions.
The Croatian Handball Federation became a member of the International Handball Federation (IHF) on 10 April 1992, and the first major success for the handball players came a year later when they won Mediterranean gold in France.

(Photo credit © Uros Hocevar / kolektiff)
The first medal at the major competitions was won by Croatian handball players at the 1994 European Championship, where they claimed bronze, and the silver from Oslo is the 15th medal from the Olympic Games, World Championships, and European Championships.

(Photo credit © Jozo Cabraja / kolektiff)
Twice, Croatian handball players have been Olympic champions (1996, 2004), and they also have a bronze from London (2012).
At the World Championships, the only gold was won in Portugal (2003), they have been world runners-up four times (1995, 2005, 2009, 2025), and in 2013 in Spain, they won bronze.
At the European Championships, Croatian handball players have won three silvers (2008, 2010, 2020) and three bronzes (1994, 2012, 2016).