France U20 vs Spain U20

Spain's three-goal halftime cushion (17-14) was the decisive margin. France fought back gamely in the second half but never managed to draw level. The Spaniards' ability to control the tempo in the closing stages — a trait that served them well in both the Germany opener (31-28) and the Switzerland thriller (33-32) — prevented France from completing the comeback. No team in the tournament pushed Spain closer than a single goal across all three matches.

Spain's squad depth was on full display across the tournament. Against Germany, it was Marcos Fis Ballester who seized control with a second-half masterclass; against Switzerland, Sergio Sanchez Vidan delivered the go-ahead goal with 80 seconds remaining. In the final, the collective defensive organisation and goalkeeper interventions made the difference. Anselmo Collado Carrion provided valuable goals from the back court across the tournament.

For France, Vincent Gress Hayet proved a handful at the line throughout the weekend, while Thomas Omeyer — nephew of legendary goalkeeper Thierry Omeyer — represented France's next generation. Playmaker Alexandre Baradat orchestrated much of France's attacking rhythm, but the team lacked the cutting edge to overhaul Spain's defence in the decisive moments.

Spain's perfect 3-0 record (31-28 vs GER, 33-32 vs SUI, 31-30 vs FRA) underscores a tournament-winning formula: win the first half, then withstand the comeback. Each match followed a similar pattern — Spain built a first-half lead and absorbed pressure in the second period. France, meanwhile, finished 1-2 overall, their sole win coming against hosts Switzerland on day one. The 30-31 scoreline reflects a competitive match where neither side ever led by more than four goals.

Spain depart Kloten as Airport Trophy champions for the fifth consecutive edition, extending a remarkable run that establishes them as the dominant junior programme in this tournament's history. France finish third in the four-team table behind Germany (who beat France 28-21 on Saturday and also defeated Switzerland in Sunday's earlier match). All four nations now turn their attention to the U20 European Championship in Romania, which begins in early July.

Next fixtures for this age group:

• Spain U20: U20 EHF EURO in Romania (July 2026)
• France U20: U20 EHF EURO in Romania (July 2026)

Spain's Airport Trophy dominance continues with another hard-fought one-goal victory. The reigning U19 world champions proved they can win three different types of matches — a comeback, a hold-on thriller, and a wire-to-wire lead — in the space of three days. France showed improvement from their sluggish loss to Germany but still lack the consistency to match Spain over 60 minutes. The U20 European Championship in Romania will be the true test.