The second day of the 2025 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship in Poland can already provide some of the teams progressing to the main round, but heavy battkes are to be expected between some European sides, which have already won in the first day.

GROUP E
16:15 Mexico vs Denmark
18:30 France vs Morocco

GROUP F
11:45 Faroe Islands vs Iceland
14:00 North Macedonia vs Romania

GROUP G
18:45 Tunisia vs Serbia
21:00 Switzerland vs Germany

GROUP H
11:45 Saudi Arabia vs Spain
14:00 Egypt vs Bahrain

• the second day of the 2025 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship will see eight matches played in Katowice and Kielce
• in group H, provided they beat Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Spain and Egypt will qualify for the main round
• Faroe’s centre back Oli Mittun is the top scorer of the competition, with 15 goals, as eight players scored at least 10 goals in the first round
• in group E, France and Denmark can also ensure safe passage to the next phase if they win their matches against Morocco and Denmark, with both sides registering double-digits wins in their first two matches 

GROUP F
11:45 CEST – Faroe Islands vs Iceland

After a strong opening performance against North Macedonia, the Faroe Islands enter round two full of confidence and ambition. With a 33:28 win already in the bag, and Óli Mittún once again in unstoppable form — finishing with 15 goals and six assists — this generation continues to prove that the Faroe Islands’ rise on the international stage is no accident.

Their Nordic neighbours, Iceland, on the other hand, will be looking to bounce back. A 29:25 loss to Romania served as a wake-up call for a team that arrived with high expectations, following their bronze medal finish at the previous edition.

Despite a promising start and Birkir Snær Steinsson’s efficiency in front of goal (scoring five from seven attempts), Iceland struggled to maintain intensity and failed to withstand Romania's disciplined attack and solid defence.

This all-Nordic clash now carries extra weight for both sides. The Faroe Islands have a chance to move to the verge of the main round, while Iceland have no room for error if they want to secure a place among the tournament’s top teams.

This will be the first-ever meeting between the two nations at the IHF Men’s Junior World Championship.

14:00 CEST – North Macedonia vs Romania

Romania’s return to the IHF Men’s Junior World Championship could not have started better. After a 10-year absence, they delivered a mature and composed performance against Iceland, led by Daniel Stanciuc, who scored 11 goals and added nine assists. Complementing his efforts was goalkeeper Marian Sirghie, who made 15 saves with an impressive 43% save rate. Romania are clearly determined to make a lasting impact.

Their opponents on Thursday, meanwhile, came to Poland with high hopes, but a 28:33 loss to the Faroe Islands in their opening match has left them searching for answers — especially when it comes to discipline. The team collected six suspensions in the first half alone, along with several one-on-one misses and moments of rushed decision-making.

Now, facing a confident Romanian side, they must bounce back quickly. Their path to the main round depends on this result, while Romania have the opportunity to tighten their grip on a main round berth.

“We have two more important games coming up, especially this one against Romania. Let’s treat this game like a final. Romania played well against Iceland, but we want to win. Let’s see what happens,” said Aleksandar Petkovski in an interview with 24rakomet.mk.

These two sides have never met at this level before. In fact, every time one team qualified for the IHF Men’s Junior World Championship, the other missed out — making this not only a crucial match for the standings but also a historic first-time clash between the two nations at junior level.

GROUP G
21:00 CEST – Switzerland vs Germany

Reigning champions Germany will face yet another strong challenge after their maiden win in the opener against Serbia, 30:29, with a strong Swiss side ready to put Martin Heuberger’s side to the test.

The two sides have already met in May, in a friendly match in the Airport Trophy in Switzerland, when Germany took a clear 36:24 win. But that time around, Nikos Sarlos scored 10 goals for Switzerland, just as he did in his team’s 41:31 win against Tunisia, therefore he will be a force to be reckoned with in this match too.

Both sides have won their maiden match in the competition, therefore the winner will likely secure their main round ticket, with Germany in pole-position, especially as they are due to face Tunisia in the last match, while Switzerland are scheduled to play agianst Serbia.