The four semi-finalists broken down by numbers

Qatar’s goalkeeper Danijel Saric is one of the key reasons for his team’s progress.

By Sports Reporter/DohaQatar vs Poland and France vs Spain are the pairings for the semi-finals at the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship at Lusail Multipurpose Hall today.France and Spain are the only preliminary round group winners to make their way to the semis.Here are the most important facts and figures of the four semi-finalists:QatarCompetition records:World championship campaigns: 2003: 16, 2005: 21, 2007: 23, 2013: 20Asian championship campaigns: 1991: 4, 2002: SILVER, 2004: BRONZE, 2006: BRONZE,2012: SILVER, 2014: GOLDQualification for Qatar 2015: HostsCoach: Valero RiveraKey players: Zarko Markovic, Danijel SaricThe road to the semi-finals: ranked second in Group A after the preliminary round, 29:27 (13:14) against Austria in the eighth-finals, 26:24 (16:14) in their quarter-final against GermanySemi-finals at World Championships: 1 (2015)Best scorers after seven matches: Zarko Markovic 55 goals, Rafael Capote 36 goalsGoals and points after seven matches: 192:173 goals, 7 wins, 1 defeatPolandCompetition records:World championship campaigns: 1958: 5, 1974: 4, 1978: 6, 1982: BRONZE, 1986: 14, 1990: 11, 2003: 10, 2007: SILVER, 2009: BRONZE, 2011: 8, 2013: 9Olympic campaigns: 1972: 10, 1976: BRONZE, 1980: 7, 2008: 5European championship campaigns: 2002: 15, 2004: 16, 2006: 10, 2008: 7, 2010: 4, 2012: 9, 2014: 6Qualification for Qatar 2015: Winners of the play-off matches against Germany (25:24, 29:28)Coach: Michael BieglerKey players: Slawomir Szmal, Bartosz JureckiThe road to the semi-finals: ranked third in preliminary round Group D, 24:20 (10:11) against Sweden in the eighth-finals, 24:22 (12:10) against Croatia in their quarter-finalSemi-finals at World Championships: 4 (including 2015)Top scorers after seven matches: Michal Jurecki 26 goals, Kamil Syprzak 24 goalsGoals and points after seven matches: 183:153 goals, 5 wins, 2 defeatsFranceCompetition records:World championship campaigns: 1954: 6, 1961: 8, 1970: 12, 1990: 9, 1993: SILVER, 1995: GOLD, 1997: BRONZE, 1999: 6, 2001: GOLD, 2003: BRONZE, 2005: BRONZE, 2007: 4, 2009: GOLD, 2011: GOLD, 2013: 6.Olympic campaigns: 1992: BRONZE, 1996: 4, 2000: 6, 2004: 5, 2008: GOLD, 2012: GOLDEuropean championship campaigns: 1994: 6, 1996: 7, 1998: 7, 2000: 4, 2002: 6, 2004: 6, 2006: GOLD, 2008: BRONZE, 2010: GOLD, 2012: 11, 2014: GOLDQualification for Qatar 2015: European ChampionsCoach: Claude OnestaKey players: Thierry Omeyer, Nikola KarabaticThe road to the semi-finals: winners of preliminary round Group C, 33:20 (16:6) against Argentina in the eighth-finals, 32:23 (18:10) against Slovenia in their quarter-finalSemi-finals at World Championships: 10 (including 2015)Top scorers after seven matches Michael Guigou 28 goals, Guillaume Joli 27 goalsGoals and points after seven matches: 208:171 goals, 6 wins, 1 drawSpainCompetition records:World championship campaigns: 1978: 10, 1982: 8, 1986: 5, 1990: 5, 1993: 5, 1995: 11, 1997: 7, 1999: 4, 2001: 5, 2003: 4, 2005: GOLD, 2007: 7, 2009: 13, 2011: BRONZE, 2013: GOLDOlympic campaigns: 1972: 15, 1980: 5, 1984: 8, 1988: 9, 1992: 5, 1996: BRONZE, 2000: BRONZE, 2004: 7, 2008: BRONZE, 2012: 7European championship campaigns: 1994: 5, 1996: SILVER, 1998: SILVER, 2000: BRONZE, 2002: 7, 2004: 10, 2006: SILVER, 2008: 6, 2012: 4, 2014: BRONZEQualification for Qatar: Defending World ChampionsCoach: Manuel CadenasKey players: Joan Canellas, Julen AguinagaldeThe road to the semi-finals: winners of preliminary round Group A, 28:20 (18:9) against Tunisia in the eighth-finals, 25:24 (11:11) in their quarter-final against DenmarkSemi-finals at World Championships: 6 (including 2015)Top scorers after seven matches: Valero Rivera jun. 39 goals, Joan Canellas 27 goalsGoals and points after seven matches: 215:171 goals, 7 wins.Now to see how they do on the court.