A hefty challenge from Egypt, which led by as many as three goals, saw France needing a comeback to secure a place in the main round and continue the title defending campaign, as their 31:27 win ensured they are through as the last qualified team in the next phase at China 2026.

Big wins from Germany and Denmark also means that they will start the main round with two points, while Japan lost their maiden match in this competition, against Croatia (23:26), but will start the main round with two points.

Group C
Germany vs Romania 37:31 (20:16)

First place in the group and two valuable points to carry into the main round were on the line, and both sides knew exactly what was at stake. Neither team could break away in the opening 10 minutes, making this all-European clash an entertaining contest from the start.

Then, Chiara Rohr once again rose to the occasion for Germany and with her sixth goal of the half, she helped the reigning W19 EHF EURO champions open a 10:7 lead midway through the first half. Romania kept pushing and, led by Gabriela-Maria Tulea, narrowed the gap to 13:14, but looked as though they were trying too hard to complete the turnaround.

Germany called a time-out, regrouped and immediately responded with a 3:0 run that restored their cushion and put them in a strong position heading into half-time. The Germans carried that momentum into the second half — after only seven minutes they had stretched the lead to 26:17 and soon reached a double-digit advantage. The Romanians struggled with their ball control throughout the match, committing 22 turnovers, which ultimately prevented them from mounting any serious comeback.

While Teodora-Lavinia Damian once again led Romania's attack with 12 goals and Florentina-Anastasia Roșu delivered another solid performance between the posts, the collective effort simply was not enough to match Germany. On the other side, Germany looked composed and convincing throughout, even without major support from their goalkeepers. The Germans had 12 different scorers, with Chiara Rohr leading the way, placing her among the top four scorers at China 2026 so far.

Romania managed only to reduce the deficit in the closing stages as Germany celebrated a 37:31 victory and carried two points into the main round. There, Germany and Romania will join Spain and the Republic of Korea.

hummel Player of the Match: Ruslana Litvinov (Germany)

Group H
Croatia vs Japan 26:23 (14:11)

Having already secured a main round berth, Japan entered the match at a slower pace. On the other hand, Croatia were eager to bounce back after two defeats and regain some confidence ahead of the Presidents' Cup.

The lead changed hands throughout the opening 15 minutes, with both sides holding narrow advantages. However, the Croats were the first to create some separation, opening a 10:7 lead by capitalising on Japanese turnovers. In response, Japan switched to a 5-1 defence in an attempt to prevent Croatia from pulling further away, and it paid off as Miku Muramatsu levelled the score at 10:10.

However, another drop in focus became visible for Japan in the closing minutes of the first half, and only several key saves from Mizuki Sugimoto prevented Croatia from taking an even bigger lead than the 14:11 advantage they held at half-time.

Croatia stretched the gap to 18:13, their biggest lead of the match, but just as in their previous two outings at China 2026, they failed to maintain their composure. A string of mistakes and poor defensive decisions allowed Japan to mount a comeback, with Mao Kato levelling the score at 19:19 in the 44th minute.

To eventually secure the victory, Croatia had goalkeeper Lara Pudić to thank — she finished with 12 saves, seven of them coming in the final 15 minutes, shutting down Japan's comeback attempts.

While Croatia head into the Presidents' Cup with renewed confidence, Japan's first defeat of the competition does not affect their main round ambitions, as they still carry two points into the next round.

hummel Player of the Match: Antea Čičak (Croatia)

Group A
France vs Egypt 31:27 (12:14)

Reigning champions France became the last team to book their main round ticket, after a hard-fought win over Egypt secured their 100% record in Group A. The European team top the group and head to the next stage with two points, while Egypt will proceed to the President's Cup, also with two points.

The Africans also had a chance to reach the main round with a win, and they were in front after the first half. While France led 10:8 seven minutes before the break, Egypt then enjoyed a 4:2 surge, fuelled by Judy Waled Ghonim's four goals, and improved their mood before the interval.

Waled Ghonim, who was named Player of the Match, scored 11 goals in this game, including eight from the 7m line. But while her team maintained their lead early in the second half, France improved and gained momentum, drawing level at 18:18 in the 42nd minute.

Egypt did not give up, and France led by just one goal, 26:25, with five minutes to go. However, the European team were superior in the closing minutes, with Mara Vama ending up as their top scorer, netting eight times.

Player of the Match: Judy Waled Ghonim (Egypt)

Group E
Denmark vs People's Republic of China 42:25 (23:13)

Both teams were certain to progress to the main round before their clash, but it was Denmark who won their third straight match and topped the group. The European team will carry two points over to the next competition stage, while the home side, People's Republic of China, will start the main round with no points.

In the first half, the Danes were almost impeccable in attack, converting 23 of 25 shots for a 92% shooting efficiency. Good defence and a number of saves from Freja Fonseca Nielsen also boosted their performance, so the European team took a 6:3 lead in the ninth minute and never looked back.

Similar to her previous matches at China 2026, Kirstine Emilie Hoppe led by example in attack. She scored eight goals already in the first half, and Denmark's double-digit lead at the interval removed all questions about the winner.

In the end, Hoppe netted 10 times, and Player of the Match Cecilie Norskov added eight more goals to Denmark's tally. Norskov stepped up in the second half, as Denmark's free-flowing attack continued to capitalise on China's defensive mistakes. And while their shot efficiency dropped to 79%, the European team earned their biggest win of the current tournament, by 17 goals.

Player of the Match: Cecilie Norskov (Denmark)