Denmark clinched their fourth consecutive semi-finals berth at the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, with a stunning comeback against Iceland, 32:30, after they were down five goals at the break.

Sweden beat a depleted Norway side, which had only 13 players on their scoresheet, with a strong second half display, to take a 35:34 win and return to the semi-finals after a 14-years wait.

QUARTER-FINALS
Denmark vs Iceland 32:30 (12:17)
Denmark picked the worst possible moment to deliver a mediocre performance in the first half of a match, being limited by only 12 goals scored by Iceland in the first 30 minutes of the quarter-final in the Cairo Stadium – Hall 1.

The Scandinavian side had stints of three and four minutes without a goal and it was not due to an excellent performance from Iceland’s goalkeepers, rather their own mistakes, with the attack being limited to a shooting efficiency to only 52%.

Add seven more turnovers, and this did not look like the machine-like Denmark which everybody got use to, leaving the door open for Iceland to build a healthy lead, as the Nordic side tried to return to the semi-finals of the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship after a 10-year break.

First, Iceland opened a three-goal lead, 7:4, after 10 minutes and then enhanced it with a 3:0 unanswered run, to prompt a team time-out from Denmark, when the match was getting out of hand for the runners-up at the previous edition of the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship.

At the break, Iceland still had a five-goal lead, 17:12, leading Denmark in all possible statistics, especially as Denmark made the change between their goalkeepers too late, with Carl Poulsen saving only one shot for a 6% saving efficiency, while his replacement, Johannes Dalsgaard, had a 60% saving efficiency, with three saves from five shots faced.

For Iceland, Ágúst Gudmundsson, their diminutive right back, was once again in top form, with four goals and five assists, as his team was getting closer and closer to a historic performance, after the previous generation missed out on a main round spot and finished 20th at Croatia 2023.

Sure enough, Denmark could not play worse in the second half, but what really changed was the intensity of their defence, which only conceded three goals in the first 16 minutes of the second half, as Dalsgaard hovered around a 55% saving efficiency, constantly frustrating the Iceland attack.

And when centre back Magnus Boysen Moldrup really started making his mark on the match, scoring four times in the first 14 minutes of the second half, Denmark were really back in the match.

Their efficiency did not improve drastically – the defence carried much of the comeback – but with three separate 3:0 unanswered runs, Denmark finally erased the deficit – missed twice tying the score – but eventually things started to come undone for Iceland.

It was their attack now which started to lose confidence and Denmark were up two goals, 24:22, with 10 minutes to go, signaling a big change in the flow of the match, with Iceland now being forced to come from behind, especially as their defence failed to contain the Danish attack.

With Boysen and Oscar Hansen running the show, combining for 12 goals, scoring six each, Denmark went up by five goals with four minutes left, after another 4:0 unanswered run, but conceded three goals in quick succession, with Iceland down by only two goals, 30:28, with 89 seconds left.

Eventually, Denmark secured their eighth semi-finals berth and their fourth in a row, with a 32:30 win, denying Iceland a place between the top-4 sides at Egypt 2025 after an excellent second half, where they scored 20 goals.

Denmark will play against the winner of the quarter-final between Germany and Hungary, while Iceland are heading to the Placement Matches 5-8.

Player of the Match: Magnus Boysen Moldrup (Denmark)




Sweden vs Norway 35:34 (16:17)

The highly anticipated Nordic quarter-final unfolded exactly as expected — a tense, high-quality contest full of momentum swings, grit, and spectacular goals. The opening 15 minutes were evenly balanced, with Norway edging ahead by a single goal on several occasions. Liam Hultberg scored three times in that span, including the strike that levelled the game at 6:6, keeping Sweden in touch.  

Sweden’s compact 6–0 defence was designed to disrupt Norway’s rhythm, but the Norwegians countered by varying their formations and applying high pressure to Sweden’s back line, which briefly paid off as they moved 10:8 ahead midway through the first half.  

However, a series of mistakes allowed Sweden to turn the tide. Goals from Leon Halén and key saves by Oskar Arnell swung the advantage to 12:10 in Sweden’s favour with 10 minutes remaining in the half. That was when Alexander Loke Gautestad took charge for Norway, scoring four of their final seven goals before the break. With support from the creative Ola Sonju Eggum, he helped Norway reclaim the lead and take a narrow 17:16 advantage into halftime.  

Sweden came out firing in the second half, producing a blistering four-goal run to race into a 20:17 lead. The sudden shift put Norway under pressure, and while they responded with moments of brilliance — including some spectacular outfield goals — they also committed costly errors. This inconsistency forced two Norwegian time-outs within seven minutes as they sought to slow Sweden’s momentum.  

Arnell continued to shine in goal, reaching 13 saves at a 36% efficiency by the 45th minute, while Sweden’s fast breaks proved lethal. They extended their lead to 29:23, appearing well on course to maintain their perfect record at Egypt 2025.  

Norway, however, were not done. With Ciljan Sagosen netting his sixth of the game, they mounted an impressive comeback, reducing the deficit to 31:32 with just four minutes left. The closing stages were filled with missed chances, big saves, and high-pressure goals from both sides. Ultimately, Nikola Roganovic’s breakthrough to make it 35:33 proved decisive, helping Sweden hold on in a thrilling finish despite late Norwegian pressure.  

With the win, the M18 EHF EURO 2024 champions advance to the semi-finals, staying in contention for their first-ever IHF Men’s Youth World Championship gold. Norway, meanwhile, will shift their focus to the Placement Matches 5–8.  

Player of the Match: Liam Hultberg (Sweden)