The U21 World Handball Championship was held from June 18 to 29.
The World Championship had 32 teams competing for the title.
Portugal had a good team, but could not count on its best player Kiko Costa.
However, there was an expectation of trying to at least reach the semifinals.
However, the team exceeded everyone's expectations and managed to reach the grand final.
In the final, they played against Denmark.
The final was a very close game, but they lost 26-29.
This was the best classification of all time.
Never before had Portugal achieved 2nd place in a U21 World Championship.
With this achievement, we can say that Portugal is increasingly establishing itself in the world with the 4th place achieved by the A team, this 2nd place by the U21 team and the fact that Sporting reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League this season.
All this in a country that has little sports culture and funding/support beyond football.
These achievements make me excited for the continued development and affirmation at an international level.