Flood of goals on the way to a record title
SC Magdeburg gets off to a rocket start at the Club World Cup
September 28, 2024, 6:30 p.m
SC Magdeburg starts the Handball Club World Cup with an overwhelming victory. The Bundesliga team scores at will against the overwhelmed US representative. But there are still completely different calibers waiting on the way to the record title.
The German handball champions SC Magdeburg took the first step towards their fourth Club World Cup title in a row with a resounding victory in Egypt. Coach Bennet Wiegert’s team clearly defeated the North American representatives California Eagles 57:21 (28:14) in the first round game.
National player Lukas Mertens was the most accurate with 16 goals. Wins with a difference of more than 30 goals are not uncommon at the Club World Cup: last year in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, the SCM managed a 57:14 win against the New Zealand representative University of Queensland. For comparison: SC Magdeburg’s highest Bundesliga win is a 45:22 against Wilhelmshavener HV.
Magdeburg won the three previous editions (2021, 2022, 2023) of the competition, then called IHF Super Globe. Only record winner FC Barcelona has so far achieved a hat-trick of titles (2017 to 2019) – four titles in a row would be a novelty. Last year, SC Magdeburg won a dramatic all-German final against runner-up Füchse Berlin (34:32 after extra time). The Berliners are also among the multiple winners of the competition: the Bundesliga club secured the title in 2015 and 2016.
In the second group game on Sunday (2 p.m.) the SCM will face Khaleej Club from Saudi Arabia, who defeated the Americans 48:25 in their first game. However, the biggest competitors on the way to the record title and 400,000 euros bonus come from Europe: Champions League winner FC Barcelona and wildcard holder Veszprém.
The 18th edition of the Club World Cup will take place in the new Egyptian administrative capital, which does not yet have a name and is located around 50 kilometers from Cairo. Nine teams are fighting for the title, the final takes place on Thursday (7 p.m.).
