In a thrilling quarter-final clash at the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, Croatia completed an unforgettable comeback to secure their place in the semi-finals. A dramatic last-second goal from Marin Sipic sealed a 31:30 victory over Hungary in front of a loud 15,600 screaming fans at Arena Zagreb, sending the hosts into the final four while crushing Hungarians’ hopes. This is Croatia’s best World Championship result since 2017, winning them their first semi-final in nearly a decade.
A Twist and Turn IHF Men’s World Championship Match
This is indeed what the match against Hungary had turned into – a rollercoaster ride of emotions – with both trading leads in each of the 60 minutes of the game. The injury-ravaged side, missing most of its best players, especially David Mandic, was remarkable in its staying power. Croatian head coach Dagur Sigurdsson had surprised one and all when he did not field Igor Karacic for the side, leaving some to question that move.
The match began with Croatia leading but Hungary was not to be deterred, pushing ahead, ultimately building a three-goal lead of 13:10 by the 23rd minute. Still, Croatia was very much in this game. Filip Glavas, on a hot streak for long-range shots, helped the teams tie it 15:15 just before halftime. The two teams went into the break all square. Hungary’s goalkeeper Laszlo Bartucz made a number of crucial saves before the end of the first half, bringing his stops tally to six.
Second Half Drama and Hungary’s Narrow Lead
The second half started with a crucial impact by Croatia’s Dominik Kuzmanovic, who turned a 19:17 deficit into a 20:19 lead by making a string of brilliant saves. His heroics helped Croatia keep pace with Hungary, who maintained their lead for much of the second half. Hungary’s defense and Bartucz’s stellar performance between the posts frustrated the Croatian attack, especially when Ivan Martinovic’s shot was denied by the Hungarian keeper.
Despite the setbacks, the spirits of Croatia were maintained by the captain Domagoj Duvnjak, who made a brief appearance on the court. However, as Hungary stretched their lead to 24:21 in the 47th minute, it seemed that all hopes for Croatia were fading. A high tackle from Patrik Ligetvari against Zvonimir Srna left the Hungary midfielder with a red card but saw them survive against a frenzied Croatian team to ensure their advantage in the last five minutes remained at 30:26.
The Spectacular Reversal of Fortunes
What followed was a little short of miraculous. Croatia, motivated by a desire to emerge from the depth of despair as well as having been fueled up by the fervor of its own crowd at home, starts a thrilling rally with Mario Sostaric at the controls and Kuzmanovic’s magnificent saves (30:29). With almost two minutes in reserve, Sigurdsson summoned his last-ditch timeout setup to orchestrate the final coup de grâce.
With only 99 seconds on the clock, a foul on Srna halted Croatia’s attack momentarily. But then, Duvnjak—who had been sidelined for much of the game—made his presence felt. Drawing a foul on the edge of the Hungarian defense, Glavas stepped up to calmly convert the resulting penalty (30:30), leveling the score with just under a minute remaining.
They had one final chance to seal the win, but Croatia’s defense, led by Marko Mamic, took away Hungary’s last shot at victory. The clock was counting down when the goalkeeper saved it with one hand just in time for a fast break, leaving 10 seconds on the clock. Pesic threw the ball to Srna, and Srna passed it to Duvnjak. Duvnjak acting as a decoy pulls the defense in, thereby leaving the space that Sipic would score the match-winning goal with a clean finish. The whole Croatian team went out into celebrations as the final whistle blew for a 31:30 victory.
Historic Winnings for Croatian Handball
The win created ripples throughout the Arena Zagreb, as Croatian players displayed visible signs of being overwhelmed by the emotional moment. Overjoyed by the historic victory, key players such as Karacic, Glavas, Duvnjak, and Martinovic were beaming with pride despite limping and battling through injuries. It was made even more special in the sense that it could very well be Duvnjak’s final appearance in a Croatian jersey at the World Championship, as he is set to retire after the tournament.
Zvonimir Srna, instrumental in the attack and defense, won as the hummel Player of the Match. The win also marked Croatia’s place among the top handball nations as they ready for a semi-final clash that will go into history books.
Beyond: Semi-Final Challenge for Croatia
With their spectacular win over Hungary, Croatia now has the best World Championship result since 2017. Now, in the semi-finals, the team will have to draw on all their strength to get over the injury problems and ride the wave of this unforgettable comeback. Fans and players alike will surely be praying that this exciting victory will spur them on to go all the way and bring home the ultimate prize in handball.
