The main round at Poland/Sweden 2023 has thrown off Wednesday with the matches from Groups I and II, which provided the first answers about the future outlook for some of the teams vying for a quarter-final berth in the world handball flagship competition.

Unfortunately for co-hosts Poland, the answer was a resounding no after they conceded a 23:27 loss against Spain, eliminating them from contention for a place among the top eight teams in the competition. In Group I, played in Krakow, France also sealed a clear win against Montenegro, enhancing their chances of progressing. 

In Group II, co-hosts Sweden delivered another excellent game, taking a 37:28 win over Hungary and getting closer and closer to the quarter-finals. On the other hand, Portugal were dealt a blow to their chances, being held to a 28:28 draw by plucky Brazil.

The President’s Cup also threw off with a win from the Republic of Korea against Uruguay (37:30), while Chile beat Saudi Arabia (26:23), opening their register at Poland/Sweden 2023.

Moving forward, teams from Group III and Group IV of the main round will take to the court on Thursday, with the headliner being the match between Norway and Serbia, which is projected to be a very close one and a decider for Toni Gerona’s side. Germany are also trying to secure their fourth win in a row against Argentina, aiming for a quarter-finals berth, which will only get closer if they win. 

Denmark and Egypt are aiming to extend their winning streaks to four matches in Group IV in Malmö as they face Croatia and Belgium respectively. The European derby used to be a highlight of major tournaments, only for Croatia to fail to deliver meaningful performances at Poland/Sweden 2023. They face a must-win match, but Denmark have a 22-match unbeaten streak in the competition. 

Did you know that 2754 goals were scored in the preliminary round at Poland/Sweden 2023? Or that five continents are represented in the main round of the competition? These stats and other bits were reflected in our talking points after the conclusion of the first 48 matches.

We also talked with Rodrigo Salinas, Chile’s captain and the only player from the South American country who has played in all seven editions of the IHF Men’s World Championship in which Chile has featured. Interested in what he has to say? Say no more and click here.

All the statistics, tailor-made for everyone, are just one click away, so you can follow your favourite player and see who’s the best scorer, the best assists provider and the best goalkeeper. 

After Wednesday’s matches, we have a new top scorer in the competition, Chile’s Erwin Feuchtmann, with 30 goals in four matches, followed closely by Iceland’s Bjarki Már Elísson with 28 goals and Montenegro’s Branko Vujović with 28 goals as well.

Curious about where you can follow your team on TV? Don’t worry, we also got you covered – just click here!

Don’t forget you can also win prizes by predicting the results of the matches at Poland/Sweden 2023.

The IHF is working hard to bring you the very best from what is sure to be an exciting competition, and wherever you are, there are many ways to follow the action! Make sure you stay up to date, follow our social media channels and find out which was the pic of the day and the best actions of the day! 

You can also check the best plays from the first day on our Facebook and Instagram accounts, with plenty of mouthwatering goals ready to be seen.