Handball Euro 2024: Portugal’s Semi-Final Hopes Live After 46-38 Loss to France

Portugal’s men’s handball team just endured its most punishing night of the European Championship—but the bigger story for people at home is what this defeat does, and does not do, to the dream of a semifinal appearance. By falling 46-38 to reigning champions France in Malmö on Saturday, the “Heróis do Mar” ceded control of their own fate, yet they remain mathematically alive thanks to results elsewhere and a schedule that still offers one more opportunity to surprise.

Snapshot of a bruising weekend

• Scoreline: France 46-38 Portugal, the highest-scoring game in EHF EURO history (84 goals)

• Half-time hole: 28-15 in favour of the French after 30 very long minutes

• Turnovers: 12 Portuguese miscues, most in any of their matches this tournament

• Top scorers: Dika Mem (8) for France; Iturizza, Brandão, Salvador, Branquinho and Frade (5 each) for Portugal

• Table math: Portugal stays on 2 points in the main round and needs help to reach the knockout phase

A record-breaking shoot-out no one wanted

The EHF confirmed overnight that Saturday’s clash set an all-time European Championship record for combined goals (84)—a statistic that flatters neutral fans but haunts Portuguese defenders. Unlike the gritty 31-29 triumph over Denmark that propelled the squad out of the preliminary stage, Saturday’s contest disintegrated into an end-to-end sprint that suited a French back-court brimming with pace. Once France rattled off a 7-0 burst before the first time-out, the match effectively slipped out of reach.

Where the plan came undone

Head coach Paulo Fidalgo insisted in the mixed zone that his side “did not abandon the script,” yet the data paint a bleaker picture. Portugal converted only 68 % of clear chances, well below the 78 % posted against Germany three days earlier. Turnovers piled up whenever the ball found the right wing, and positional errors allowed French line player Ludovic Fabregas to screen Luís Frade out of the defensive block. In plain Portuguese: demasiado espaço, demasiado cedo. The result was an avalanche of fast-break goals that compounded every missed shot at the other end.

A rivalry weighted by history

Saturday marked the 10th official meeting between the sides since 2018. France now leads the modern series 7-3, yet the ledger includes a pair of Portuguese wins that still resonate:

the famous Euro 2022 group upset in Budapest, and

the Tokyo Olympic quarter-final that catapulted Portugal into its first ever Games semi.Those memories explain why supporters travelled to Scandinavia believing another shock was possible. Even so, France—the current holder after lifting the 2024 crown—has clearly re-established its psychological edge.

Portugal’s narrow path to Copenhagen

Advancing from Group II now demands a mini-miracle. Portugal must:

• beat Norway on Tuesday, ideally by at least 4 goals to protect any head-to-head tiebreaker;

• hope France defeats Germany; and

• count on Denmark stumbling in its remaining fixture.Should all of that unfold, three teams could finish on 4 points, pushing the calculators into overtime. Fidalgo refused to indulge in permutations, stressing that “the next 60 minutes are all we can influence.”

Dressing-room mood: wounded yet defiant

Veteran captain André Gomes described a “silent bus ride” back to the team hotel but said the squad regrouped with video analysis on Sunday morning. Physiotherapists reported only minor knocks; fatigue, not injury, is the primary concern. “We are embarrassed by 12 turnovers,” pivot Victor Iturizza told Portuguese reporters, “but we are still in this, and we owe the people at home a proper response.”

Key insights for supporters back home

– Portugal’s attack remains among the tournament’s top five for goals per match, yet its defence has slipped to 17th out of 24 squads.– The Malmö Arena atmosphere felt almost like an away game within Scandinavia; local organisers estimate 4 000 Portuguese fans still inside the venue by the final whistle.– Should Portugal exit early, attention will pivot quickly to June’s World Championship qualifying play-off, where seeding depends heavily on final Euro placement.

Most Portuguese fans woke up on Monday wrestling with conflicting emotions: disappointment at a missed statement win, and curiosity about an improbable route that still exists. What is clear is that one more inspired evening—coupled with friendly results elsewhere—could yet rewrite the narrative. Until the whistle blows against Norway, a handball nation waits.