The 2025 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship throws off today in Poland, marking the start of two thrilling weeks where the brightest young talents in global handball will battle for international glory. All 32 participating teams are set to take the court on this opening day, each with high hopes, bold ambitions, and dreams of lifting the world title.

From defending champions Germany and perennial powerhouses to exciting newcomers eager to make their mark, Day 1 promises a full schedule of fast-paced action and early statements. With the eyes of the handball world on Poland and namely Kielce, Plock, Katowice and Sosnowiec, the journey toward the podium begins now — and it all starts here.

Group A

16:15 – Norway vs Slovenia
18:30 – Poland vs Uruguay

Group B

11:45 – Austria vs Argentina
14:00 – Hungary vs Brazil

Group C

16:15 – Sweden vs Republic of Korea
18:30 – Japan vs United States of America

Group D

11:45 – Portugal vs Algeria
14:00 – Croatia vs Canada

Group E

16:15 – Denmark vs Morocco
18:30 – France vs Mexico

Group F

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

Group G

18:45 – Tunisia vs Switzerland
21:00 – Germany vs Serbia

Group H

11:45 – Spain vs Bahrain
14:00 – Egypt vs Saudi Arabia

*all hours are local time, CEST

• the competition will throw off with four matches in the four venues at 11:45 CEST
• Austria will return to the competition for the first time since 1997, stopping a 28-year wait, making their sixth appearance in history
• Mexico are the only team making their debut, facing perennial contenders France in their maiden match in the competition
• Denmark, Sweden and Spain are the team with the largest number of appearances, 24, including this one, while Egypt are taking part for the 21st time and for the 18th time in a row

GROUP A
16:15 CEST – Norway vs Slovenia

Group A features three European teams, and two of them will face each other in an exciting opening clash on Wednesday. Norway are entering their fifth consecutive and 14th overall IHF Men's Junior World Championship. Their best result at this level remains a fourth-place finish at Argentina 1995. At Germany/Greece 2023, however, the Scandinavian team failed to reach the main round and ultimately placed 18th. The new generation is determined to improve on that result, and an opening win could be crucial in that pursuit.

The same applies to Slovenia, who are making their 13th appearance at the tournament. They also missed the main round two years ago and finished in 20th place at Germany/Greece 2023 — their joint-lowest ranking in the competition’s history. While it will be difficult to replicate their best finishes — third place at Egypt 2009 and Brazil 2015 — Slovenia will be eager to make a strong start, which could boost confidence and increase their chances of advancing.

Both sides qualified for Poland 2025 through the M20 EHF EURO 2024, where Norway finished eighth and Slovenia, playing at home, ended in 15th place. Given the recent form, Norway enter the match as slight favourites — but will need to remain focused against a hungry Slovenian side.

18:30 CEST – Poland vs Uruguay

Two years ago, Poland returned to the IHF Men's Junior World Championship after a 20-year absence. Although they didn’t reach the main round at Germany/Greece 2023, they finished as the highest-ranked team outside the top 16, taking 17th place. Now playing on home soil in Płock, Poland find themselves in a challenging group alongside two other European teams, but the hosts are eager to produce strong results in front of their passionate fans.

In their opening game, Poland will face Uruguay — a side with limited experience at this level. The South Americans have only appeared once at the IHF Men's Junior World Championship, finishing 22nd out of 24 teams at Brazil 2015. Their sole win came against fellow South American side Chile.

This time, Uruguay arrives with a new generation of players who are determined to make an impact. They secured their spot at Poland 2025 by winning bronze at the 2024 South and Central American Junior Handball Championship. While considered underdogs in Group A, Uruguay are determined to challenge their European opponents and surprise the field.

GROUP F
11:45 CEST – Iceland vs Romania

Arguably the most balanced group at Poland 2025, Group F is the only one made up entirely of European sides. Iceland are making their 13th appearance at the IHF Men’s Junior World Championship and have twice won bronze — at Egypt 1993 and Germany/Greece 2023. Last year, they placed seventh at the 2024 EHF Men's U-20 Championship, and they now arrive in Poland with ambitions of a deep tournament run.

Their first opponents are Romania, who return to the competition after a 10-year absence. Romania have competed eight times at this level, with their best result being a fifth-place finish at Yugoslavia 1987. They secured their Poland 2025 berth by finishing 16th at the 2024 EHF Men's U-20 Championship.

Romania’s primary goal this time is to reach the main round. Among their key players is centre back Daniel Stanciuc, the most experienced member of their squad. The 21-year-old from CS Dinamo București has already made an impact on Romania’s senior national team and notably finished as their top scorer in the EHF EURO 2026 qualifiers.

14:00 CEST – North Macedonia vs Faroe Islands

Two teams in Katowice are eager to make their mark early in the competition as they prepare for their first encounter at this stage. For the former side, this marks a long-awaited return to the IHF Men's Junior World Championship, having last participated in 2017. Their current generation has shown promise, finishing ninth at the M20 EHF EURO 2024.

“I expect us to give our maximum at our last big tournament together. I believe in myself and my teammates, and I hope that at this World Championship we will achieve our best placement so far,” said team captain Andrej Stojanovski in an interview with 24rakomet.mk.

They will look to build their campaign on a strong attack and resilient defense, aiming to replicate their known style. However, they will face a promising young team — the Faroe Islands.

The Faroe Islands are entering the championship with a wild card, but they are far from underdogs. This will be their third appearance at the IHF Men's Junior World Championship, having finished 7th in 2023 and 16th in 2017. Their last two generations have shown impressive progress, with Oli Mittún at the heart of their attack.

The explosive back player was the top scorer and All-Star centre back at the 2023 IHF Men's Youth World Championship, where the Faroe Islands took eighth place. Mittún’s creativity, vision, and scoring ability make him a constant threat to any defense.

Group G
21:00 CEST – Germany vs Serbia

The all-European duel in Group G will close the first match day at Hala Legionów in Kielce, as two well-acquainted sides meet again. Germany and Serbia previously faced each other in the opening match of Group B at the M20 EHF EURO 2024 — a game that saw Germany cruise to a dominant 33:20 win, led by David Móré and Fritz-Leon Haake. The left wing and centre back duo will once again be in the spotlight, looking to repeat that strong performance.

However, Germany faces some injury challenges — Magnus Grupe is out of the tournament, while Anton Preußner is still recovering. Germany is traveling with only one left-handed player, Henri Pabst. While their predecessors won the 2023 IHF Men's Junior World Championship, this team is determined not to let pressure affect them, having shown strong performance at the European Championship, ultimately finishing fourth.

“Serbia has a lot of power in the backcourt, a strong physique, and a strong goalkeeper. They are significantly stronger and one of the candidates for the main round,” said Germany's head coach Martin Heuberger in an interview with handball.net.

Serbia, on the other hand, enter the championship with high ambitions and a physical, compact squad. The Balkan side is packed with powerful backcourt players and will be especially motivated to turn the tables after last summer’s defeat.

“Germany is certainly the toughest opponent in the group stage. We have prepared well, and with the great motivation we have, we enter the game with the mentality of winners. Our first and primary goal is to finish among the top two teams in the group stage,” said Serbia’s head coach Dalibor Cutura.

Regarding the IHF Men's Junior World Championship, Serbia and Germany have faced off twice — in 2013 and 2023. The first game went Serbia’s way (32:21), while Germany won the semi-final clash (40:30).

Group H
11:45 CEST – Spain vs Bahrain

The 2025 IHF Men's Junior World Championship kicks off at Hala Legionów, Kielce, with a promising clash between Spain and Bahrain in Group H. Spain arrives as reigning European champions and the only European team in the group, and one of the most consistent teams in the competition, never finishing lower than tenth place.

Led by coach Javier Fernández, this Spanish squad is one of the favorites, boasting a remarkable track record. This generation has won three major titles in a row — M18 EHF EURO 2022, 2023 IHF Men's Youth World Championship, and the M20 EHF EURO 2024 — so expectations are high. At the heart of their ambition is Petar Cikusa Jelicic, who already brings experience after featuring at the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship and for Barcelona in the EHF Champions League Men.

“The boys are coming off a tough year with many demands, and what they want now is to start competing. We want to get off to the best possible start in the match against Bahrain,” said Javier Fernández in an interview with rfebm.com.

Bahrain, meanwhile, enters their fourth World Championship with eyes on further progress. After finishing 13th in the 2023 edition — their best result so far — the bronze medal from the 2024 Asian Men's Junior Championship gives them additional confidence for an even stronger finish this time.

Line player Sayed Alfalahi and left back Jaffar Farsan will be crucial for Bahrain if they hope to challenge Spain in the opening game and their well-known rivals from Egypt and Saudi Arabia — teams they defeated in the third-place match at the 2024 Asian Men's Junior Championship.

This will also be the first-ever meeting between Spain and Bahrain at the IHF Men's Junior World Championship, adding an extra layer of excitement to the opener.