Just one batch of matches remains in the preliminary round of the men’s handball tournament at Paris 2024 and we can now start mapping the course to glory for the remaining contenders.
You can look at the current standings here. Here’s a look at who can still finish in which positions by Sunday night.
Group A
This one is wide open! All we know is that Japan are out and quarter-final tickets have been booked for Germany and Slovenia. They will face off for first place, while it’s a royal rumble for the other places and one of the big European sides will miss out on a trip to Lille.
1st place – Germany or Slovenia
2nd place – Germany, Slovenia, Sweden, Spain or Croatia
3rd place – Germany, Slovenia, Sweden, Spain or Croatia
4th place – Germany, Slovenia, Sweden, Spain or Croatia
5th place – Croatia, Sweden or Spain
6th place – Japan
Round 5 fixtures:
Sweden vs Japan
Germany vs Slovenia
Spain vs Croatia
Group B
This group is also clear-cut at the top with Denmark and Norway in a direct battle for first place, while Egypt are also through to the quarter-finals and Argentina are last.
1st place – Denmark or Norway
2nd place – Norway, Egypt or Denmark
3rd place – Egypt, France or Norway
4th place – France, Hungary or Egypt
5th place – Hungary or France
6th place – Argentina
Round 5 fixtures:
Egypt vs Argentina
Hungary vs France
Denmark vs Norway
Elite eight bracket
We know that five teams have booked their train tickets to Lille but there are a plethora of potential matchups. Here’s how the bracket looks:
A1 – (Germany or Slovenia)
B4 – (France, Hungary or Egypt)
A3 – (Germany, Slovenia, Sweden, Spain or Croatia)
B2 – (Norway, Egypt or Denmark)
B3 – (Egypt, France or Norway)
A2 – (Germany, Slovenia, Sweden, Spain or Croatia)
B1 – (Denmark or Norway)
A4 – (Germany, Slovenia, Sweden, Spain or Croatia)