Austria Narrowly Loses Handball World Cup Playoff First Leg to Poland 25-26

Tight Match Ends in Polish Favor

The Austrian squad, led by coach Iker Romero, started strong with Mykola Bilyk and Lukas Hutecek—both recently recovered from injuries—helping secure an early 2-1 lead. However, Poland responded quickly, taking a 15-13 advantage by halftime after a last-second goal.

Austria leveled the score at 16-16 in the second half thanks to Tobias Wagner, but Poland regained control, stretching their lead to 23-19 at one point. A converted penalty by Eric Damböck tied the game again at 23-23 after nearly 55 minutes of play, but Poland ultimately clinched the win with a decisive goal by Maciej Gebala just 28 seconds before the final whistle.

The loss marks a setback for Austria, which has qualified for every World Cup since 2019 except for the 2023 edition. Poland, meanwhile, continued their recent dominance over Austria, having also defeated them 31-19 in a preparatory tournament earlier this year.

Players Remain Optimistic Ahead of Return Leg

Despite the defeat, Austrian players and staff expressed confidence ahead of Sunday’s decisive second leg in Olsztyn.

"It is all still possible on Sunday—the qualification is completely open, and we will fight until the end," Romero promised. Captain Mykola Bilyk echoed the sentiment, stating that "absolutely nothing" had changed in their outlook despite the loss.

"It hurts that we couldn’t secure a small cushion, but a one-goal deficit in handball means nothing—it’s completely irrelevant," Bilyk emphasized. Teammate Lukas Hutecek added, "It’s only halftime. I’m confident it will work out."

Romero acknowledged defensive improvements but criticized Austria’s offensive performance. "The defense was really good, but we had problems in attack—we left too many chances unused," he said. Bilyk stressed the need for sharper execution in the return match: "We have to be more consistent upfront and put those shots in during Poland."

The second leg kicks off at 3:00 PM local time on Sunday, with the aggregate winner securing a spot in the 2025 Handball World Cup.