Key highlights of the day: Two main round groups to finish on a high

22 Jan. 2023

Key highlights of the day: Two main round groups to finish on a high

The 12th consecutive day with matches at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship will also bring some crucial answers, with one berth for the quarter-final ready to be sealed, while the crunch clash between France and Spain will offer the winner of Group I of the main round in Krakow.

On Saturday, more answers were given in Katowice and Malmö, with three teams sealing berths for the quarter-final. For the third event in a row, Egypt made it into the top eight sides in the world, cruising to the quarter-final by sealing their fifth win in a row at Poland/Sweden 2023. Denmark also made a big step towards the semi-finals with a win over the USA, as they hold a +22 goal difference lead over Croatia in case of a tie in the final standings of Group IV.

In Group III, the two berths for the quarter-finals were awarded as Germany and Norway made it through, with the first place being decided in the mutual clash scheduled for Monday. Germany totally dominated the Netherlands, 33:26, while Norway clinched a clear 30:17 win over Qatar.

In the President’s Cup, Morocco clinched an impressive win over Algeria, while Tunisia won Group II with an important win over North Macedonia (33:28).

Moving on to Sunday, Group I schedules a mouthwatering clash between France and Spain, with both sides riding a five-match winning streak and at least one of those waiting to be snapped. To clinch first place in the group, France need at least a draw.

While Sweden have already secured first place in Group II of the main round, Portugal, Hungary, Iceland and Brazil are still in a fierce battle for the second quarter-finals berth. Learn what the teams need to progress in our preview. 

Brazil have truly been a tough nut to crack at Poland/Sweden 2023, taking a draw against Portugal and losing very, very close to Hungary. We talked to their best scorer, wing Jean-Pierre Dupoux, a true globetrotter with an impressive life story.

We also sat down with Christian O’Sullivan, one of the most insightful handball players, for some insight into Norway, who have just sealed their best start at the IHF Men’s World Championship. 

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. 

In the race for the top goal scorer title, Dutch right back Kay Smits is leading the way with 38 goals, one more than Chile’s Erwin Feuchtmann and two more than Iceland’s Bjarki Már Elísson. Denmark’s right back Mathias Gidsel is circling around with 34 goals, having a big chance to win the title.

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. What about this flip from Johannes Golla?