All 48 games for the preliminary round have been completed, as the 24 teams who will take part in the 27th IHF Men’s World Championship main round are known. 

In Group A, Hungary won the blockbuster against Germany 28:27, with a last-gasp goal from Mate Lekai, as the Hungarian side will now start the main round on four points. 

Spain, Poland and Brazil were the teams to progress from Group B, with the reigning European champions starting their group on three points.

Japan wrote history by advancing to the main round after their 30:29 win against Angola, joining Croatia and Qatar from Group C into the next phase of the competition.

Title holders Denmark will start the main round with four points after their win against Argentina, while Bahrain became the third Asian team to continue in the competition. 

The main round at Egypt 2021 will start today, with six mouthwatering games. In Group III, set to be played in the Dr Hassan Moustafa Indoor Sports Complex, Norway face Portugal in a pivotal game for the 2017 and 2019 World Championship silver medallists from Scandinavia. 

Elsewhere, in Group IV, set to be played in the Cairo Stadium Indoor Halls Complex, hosts Egypt will try to overcome their disappointment from the loss against Sweden, as they face the Russian Handball Federation Team. Current Group IV leaders Sweden can tighten their grip on the first place provided they win against fifth-placed Belarus. 

The President’s Cup is also throwing off tomorrow, with Chile facing Austria and Morocco meeting Republic of Korea, with all four teams eyeing their first win in the competition. 

With Japan earning a surprising main round berth, you can also read an insight into a miraculous comeback story from one of their most popular players, Remi Doi, whose career looked to be over, only for him to represent his national team in the most important men’s handball event. 

With the bubble concept firmly under control, no positive COVID-19 cases have been recorded at Egypt 2021 in the Tuesday’s round of testing, signalling once again that all health measures are put in place to ensure the safety of all stakeholders present in the event. 

ihf.info has launched a new dashboard, where you can find unparalleled access to better track the statistics for your favourite team at the 27th IHF Men’s World Championship. With big data being more and more important in handball, everything you need is only one click away. 

It’s also never too late to join the Be A Manager game! Fans who feel up to the task can also try to put themselves in a coach’s shoes as they can select their dream team of 14 players within the allocated budget and be in charge of their own team at Egypt 2021. 

Do not forget to set your alarm and watch your favourite teams on TV and follow all the updates of the IHF regarding the IHF men’s flagship event.