The Under-19 France team overcame Slovenia in the final at the 2015 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship to claim the nation’s third world championship title of the year. In January 2015 France topped the podium at the 24th Men’s World Championship, and earlier this month the junior team raised the trophy in Brazil. 

France now hold all three men’s world championship titles, and are the first country ever to do so.  

Slovenia’s defence was strong and Urh Kastelic was outstanding in between the posts, but the game belonged to France from start to finish. 

Darko Stojnic scored the first goal of the game and their opponent answered with a wing shot from Etienne Mocquais – both inside opening minute – but it was France that maintained an edge throughout the half, with Slovenia always chasing. 

The first penalty of the game went to France with Kastelic saving Aymeric Minne’s shot (3:2), but Mehdi Harbaoui stopped Slovenia’s next shot and Richardson scored a counter attack to level the score at 3:3 in the fifth minute. 

Jaka Malus put his second in off a cross behind Kotar, then scored his first Kempa – his pet shot – in the ninth to push Slovenia in front (5:4). Kastelic saved his first Dika Mem (six goals and top scorer of the game) attempt from outside but Harbaoui once again retaliated at the other end, and Kastelic could not stop the six-metre shot from line player Ludovic Fabregas that equalled the score in the 10th (5:5)

Benoit Konkoud took France two ahead with a fast break and Slovenia played a long attack that ended with Stojnic’s second goal exactly midway through the half (6:7). Kastelic saved France’s next shot, but his side could not convert his work into a goal and the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, Melvyn Richardson, was the next to add to the tally, prompting Slovenia coach Klemencic Janez to call the first time-out of the game in the 20th (7:10). 

Aleks Kavcic scored a perfectly placed goal as the half entered its last ten minutes, but Minne responded twice and France were then firmly four in front (9:13, 23rd minute). Blaz Janc scored a penalty when Romain Lagarde was out on a suspension and France could not beat Slovenia’s defence with the numerical deficiency. Slovenia were awarded another penalty on a counter attack to close the gap to two (11:13). 

Slovenia’s defence backed by Kastelic was keeping them in touch, but France still found gaps and Richardson scored in the 29th to take France four ahead once more 12:16. Stojnic was sent off for two minutes after a foul on Richardson and Kastelic saved Mem’s outside shot to keep the gap at three (13:16) at the break. 

Richardson scored the first goal of the period with Stojnic still out on his suspension, but it was another two minutes before they added another, courtesy of Mem, and Slovenia found themselves in a dangerous situation with a five-goal deficit. 

Stojnic received his second two-minutes in the 35th and Tom Nozeran scored a wing shot against the five-man defence (13:19). Malus finally put Slovenia’s first on the board in the 36th and Kastelic backed him up with a save (14:20), but France were on a roll that could not be stopped. 

With just over 15 minutes left Konkoud scored into the open goal when Kastelic came out of the six-metre area to attempt an intercept, and they hit a nine-goal advantage that looked impossible for Slovenia to decrease (18:27). 

With France captain Lucas Ferrandier out on a two-minute suspension Slovenia had the opportunity to put a dent in the big score line, but goalkeeper Florent Bonneau, who came on for the second period, was really giving them trouble. 

Just before the 50-minute mark Aleks Vlah broke through to close the gap to six (22:28) and Fabregas was sent off, but he scored as soon as he returned to the court and Bonneau saved Slovenia’s next shot to put the score at 23:29 with seven minutes left. 

When Nozeran scored an easy fast break as the clock ticked into the final five minutes and Bonneau saved the next shot, it was clear France were on their way to the win (23:30). Kastelic made his 20th save with four minutes left, but his exceptional game was not enough. 

The Janc-Malus partnership had time for one more Kempa, that was the final goal of the match, but the France bench was already in full celebration.