Only four teams are still alive in the hunt for the coveted trophy at the 2025 IHF Men's Youth World Championship, as the semi-finals are set to be played on Friday, 15 August, in Cairo.

The last edition's finalists, Denmark and Spain, can meet once again in the final, but first they need to beat Sweden and Germany, two teams which have not lost until this point in the competition.

SEMI-FINALS

• 17:15 Sweden vs Spain
• 19:30 Germany vs Denmark

PLACEMENT MATCHES 5-8

• 17:00 Norway vs Egypt
• 19:30 Hungary vs Iceland

Placement Match 9/10

• 14:45 France vs Serbia

Placement Match 11/12

• 15:00 Switzerland vs Czechia

Placement Match 13/14

• 12:30 Slovenia vs Japan

Placement Match 15/16

• 12:45 Austria vs Saudi Arabia

Placement Match 17/18

• 19:30 Portugal vs Croatia

Placement Match 19/20

• 19:30 Faroe Islands vs Tunisia

Placement Match 21/22

• 17:15 Argentina vs Brazil

Placement Match 23/24

• 17:15 Kosovo vs Bahrain

Placement Match 25/26

• 15:00 Kuwait vs Republic of Korea

Placement Match 27/28

• 15:00 Uruguay vs Algeria

Placement Match 29/30

• 12:45 Morocco vs Guinea

Placement Match 31/32

• 12:45 Mexico vs United States of America

SEMI-FINALS
 
17:15 EEST  – Spain vs Sweden  
Two of the most prolific attacking sides at the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship 2025 are set for a thrilling semi-final, as unbeaten Sweden face defending champions Spain.  

Sweden arrive after surviving a dramatic Nordic derby against Norway, where their perfect record at Egypt 2025 — six wins from six games — was nearly broken. In a tense finish, key goals from Nikola Roganović and Liam Hultberg secured a narrow 35:34 victory.  

Once again, Sweden's well-distributed attack proved decisive. They rank second in overall scoring with 224 goals, averaging 37.3 per game, trailing only Spain. Defensively, however, Sweden sit 16th, having conceded 181 goals — the highest number among the semi-finalists, and likely their biggest challenge against the Spaniards.  

“Everyone sees us as big favourites in the tournament and there will be extra pressure on us, but I think we are handling it well and fighting for each other,” said Sweden's captain Toni Johansson for handbollslandslaget.se.  

Spain top the scoring charts with 228 goals in six matches, averaging 38 per game. They are coming off their most impressive performance yet — a dramatic comeback win over hosts Egypt in front of a record-breaking crowd of 22,150.  

Down by four with 12 minutes remaining, Spain put together a stunning 12:5 run to clinch the victory, led by Marcos Fis Ballester, who scored 12 goals. Fis Ballester is now among the tournament’s leading scorers with 45 goals. Defensively, Spain have also been strong, conceding just 159 goals — the seventh-best record in the competition.  

History favours the defending champions: Spain have won both previous encounters against Sweden at this level. The most recent came in the 2019 Round of 16, a tight 28:27 win, while the first was in the 2011 semi-final, another narrow 24:23 success.  

19:30 EEST – Germany vs Denmark  

A heavyweight European clash awaits in Cairo as Denmark face Germany for a place in the final of the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship 2025.  

Germany booked their semi-final ticket in dramatic fashion, with Jan Grüner scoring at the buzzer to seal a 32:31 win over Hungary. Grüner is also Germany’s top scorer with 31 goals. True to form, Germany remain the most defensively disciplined team among the last four.  

With only 150 goals conceded in six matches — an average of 25 per game — they have the tournament’s second-best defensive record. Goalkeeper Finn Knaack has been a decisive factor, posting a 39.4% save efficiency. Offensively, Germany rank 18th with 182 goals (30.3 on average), but their structure and consistency have compensated for the lower output.  

“The team has developed tremendously since our preparations in Hanover. We are happy to be among the four best countries in the world,” said Germany’s head coach Erik Wudtke for handball.net.  

Denmark staged their own comeback in the quarter-finals, overturning a five-goal halftime deficit to defeat Iceland 32:30. Combining aggressive defence with composed finishing, they were led by Magnus Boysen Moldrup and Oscar Hansen in key moments.  

The Danes have scored 206 goals at Egypt 2025, ranking 10th in attack, and conceded 168, placing them 9th defensively. This marks their fourth consecutive appearance in the semi-finals, following similar runs in 2017, 2019 and 2023.  

Germany and Denmark have met four times before at this level, with two wins each. Their only previous semi-final clash came in 2019, when Germany claimed a convincing 31:23 victory.