Well, well, well! We are deep into Spain 2021 territory now, as six teams have already secured their main round berths for the quarter-finals, with two more ready to proceed to the knockout phase on Monday.

But until Monday, we still have a full card today at the 25th IHF Women’s World Championship, as Group III and Group IV of the main round will be concluded with two superb matches ready to deliver the winners of those groups.

Taking a look back on what happened yesterday, Group II of the main round has produced one of the most lopsided results in the history of the competition, but also the best match played until this moment, as Norway and Sweden shared the spoils in the Scandinavian derby, which ended in a 30:30 deadlock. The Netherlands got close to breaking the record for the most lopsided win at the IHF Women’s World Championship, while Romania also sealed a comfortable win against Puerto Rico.

Nothing is decided yet in this group, with reigning champions the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden still in with a chance of progressing before the first two teams in the table collide in Castelló. 

In Group I, France secured their fifth win in as many matches against Serbia, progressing to the quarter-finals, as did the RHF, with a bit of help from Poland. 

In the President’s Cup, Cameroon enjoyed their largest-ever win in the competition, 42:23 against Uzbekistan, while Angola edged closer to the final of the President’s Cup with a clear win against the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

Now back to today’s card, which will decide the winners in two main round groups. Both Germany and Denmark have been flawless at Spain 2021, before they meet in the decider in Granollers. A draw would be enough for Denmark to seal the first place in Group III, as they boast a better goal difference, but these teams know each other very well, so it sounds like a perfect ending for a superb group. 

Moving on to Torrevieja, hosts Spain are also trying to win their sixth game in a row and finish the main round in first place when they face Brazil in Group IV, one of the other five teams who won their first five games at Spain 2021. Austria and Croatia face each other trying to avoid the last place in the group, while Japan eye another strong finish against a plucky Argentina side in the other games in the group.

After People’s Republic of China withdrew from Spain 2021 due to a positive COVID-19 case, there is only one game in Group II of the President’s Cup, when Paraguay and Tunisia will be vying for the second place in a group already sealed by Slovakia.

Speaking of Torrevieja, we talked with the city’s mayor, Eduardo Dolon, about the challenges of organising such a big event and what Spain 2021 means for the community. 

Another feel-good story is coming from Uzbekistan, despite their drubbing against Cameroon yesterday. The Asian side are participating in an IHF Women’s World Championship for the second time and they just won their first game in history. Are you not curious about how handball is developing there? 

Despite their loss against France and the subsequent elimination from contention at Spain 2021, Serbia are also a very good side, in the middle of a rebuild, playing with all their heart in this competition. From defence to superb patriotic messages on their sneakers, we talked with their captain Jovanka Stoiljkovic. 

Stats time now, and you can find everything in numbers for Spain 2021 here. We cannot be entirely sure yet, but we are probably going to see Nathalie Hagman as the top scorer in the competition, as she is now on 57 goals, 16 more than the second-placed Jovanka Radicevic. Only 13 of those goals came from penalties, so Sweden’s right wing has been nothing short of superb, converting 81% of her shots.

You can also win prizes at Spain 2021, if you prove that you are a handball expert. Are you confident you can top the charts? Find out for yourself! 

Unfortunately, injuries happen and players do get replaced at Spain 2021, so you can keep track of everything here. 

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

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 to be always up-to-date! 

And do not forget to also follow our Instagram account dedicated to this competition, available here.