Austria delivered a hard-fought 37:36 win against Portugal, to open up their 2025 IHF Men's Youth World Championship campaign with a win, while Saudi Arabia provided a big surprise, as a buzzer-beater goal saved them a draw against Brazil. Elsewhere, Slovenia, one of the title candidates, secured a clear 38:25 win against the Faroe Islands, while Tunisia dished USA a big win, 43:26.

Group A
Portugal vs Austria 36:37 (20:19)

Austria started their third appearance at the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship in perfect fashion, clinching their third consecutive opening win and celebrating their first-ever victory over Portugal at youth level. In a dramatic finish, Austria staged a late comeback that left Portugal disappointed.

The first half saw both sides play at a high tempo and refuse to let the other take control. Portugal began well, establishing a slim two-goal margin with Joao Lourenço leading the way. Austria responded quickly, regrouping to level the score and showing great resilience.

Key saves from Austria’s Jonas Bergmayer and Portugal’s Rodrigo Miguel Geada kept the contest tight. After Portugal’s early advantage, Austria surged ahead midway through the half, thanks to Maximilian Danhel’s clinical finishing, and led 15:13.

Portugal, however, were relentless. Changing from a 5-1 to 6-0 defensive system disrupted Austria’s rhythm. Miguel Mendes stepped up in the final minutes of the first half, sparking a comeback that not only wiped out the deficit but allowed Portugal to reclaim the lead at the break.

In the second half, both coaches looked for ways to alter the momentum. Portugal managed to hold onto a narrow lead for most of the restart, with Joao Lourenço continuing his scoring spree, reaching double digits by the 50th minute.

But Austria steadily built up momentum. The introduction of goalkeeper Sergej Novaković proved crucial, stabilising the defence and inspiring confidence throughout the team. The Austrian attack began to click from all positions, and an unanswered three-goal run—capped by a standout performance from Lukas Fritsch—turned Portugal’s lead into a two-goal deficit.

With the tide turned decisively, Austria held their nerve to edge out Portugal 37:36 in a thrilling finish. Portugal will need to regroup ahead of their next game against Kuwait, while Austria look to keep their winning streak alive against unbeaten Sweden on Friday.

Player of the Match: Lukas Fritsch (Austria)

Group D
Brazil vs Saudi Arabia 26:26 (15:15)

A dramatic buzzer-beater from Abbas Alawazim – his second goal of the match – rescued a draw for Saudi Arabia against Brazil in a fiercely contested encounter. Although Brazil might feel frustrated by the result, the draw ultimately reflects the balanced and hard-fought nature of the game.

Saudi Arabia got off to a strong start, as two early goals from Ahmed Alobaidi gave them a 2:0 lead. However, Brazil quickly responded, drawing level thanks to Diogo Borja and Luis Pereira Da Silva. From then on, it was a back-and-forth battle, with neither side able to build more than a one-goal advantage throughout an intense first half.

Alobaidi was the standout performer early on, finishing the half with five goals. The Asians were close to going into the break with a lead, but Adam Mesquita Da Silva’s late strike ensured the teams were locked at 15:15 after 30 minutes.

The second half followed a similar script, though this time it was Brazil who gained the upper hand, establishing a two-goal cushion early on. Yet again, their opponents showed resilience and clawed their way back. With just 17 seconds left on the clock, Kelvin Barros scored what looked like a potential match-winner for Brazil – but Saudi Arabia had one last twist in store. As the final second ticked away, Abbas Alawazim struck to level the match, sending his teammates into jubilation.

Saudi Arabia boasted the stronger individual performances: goalkeeper Salman Almuyini made 15 saves and was named Player of the Match, while Abdullah Alsadoon and Ahmed Alobaidi netted seven and six goals respectively. On the Brazilian side, George De Siqueira led in scoring with five goals, though Brazil performed solidly as a unit. Despite their efforts, they had to settle for a single point.

Player of the Match: Salman Almuyini (Saudi Arabia)

Group E
Slovenia vs Faroe Islands 38:25 (19:12)

Slovenia made a powerful statement in their Egypt 2025 opener, defeating the Faroe Islands convincingly. The dynamic backcourt duo of Aljuš Anžič and Mai Marguč spearheaded the victory, combining for a remarkable 21 goals.

Despite Slovenia finishing with a 75% shooting efficiency, both teams were slow to get going. The score was tied at 2:2 in the 9th minute, and Slovenia held only a narrow 8:7 lead midway through the first half. However, a 5:1 scoring run in just over four minutes saw them take command at 13:8.

Anžič and Marguč ended the first half with seven and six goals respectively, while goalkeeper Matevž Mlakar made a significant contribution with seven saves. In contrast, Faroe Islands’ goalkeepers Ingi Johannessen and Bjarni Jacobsen managed only two saves combined, and their team trailed 19:12 at halftime.

The second half brought slight improvement in goalkeeping for the Nordic side, but they continued to struggle defensively. Marguč in particular continued his scoring spree, finishing with a match-high 12 goals, while Anžič tallied nine. A 4:0 run expanded Slovenia’s lead to 27:17 in the 43rd minute, effectively sealing the outcome. The Slovenes maintained their momentum until the final whistle, showcasing both depth and determination.

With this win, Slovenia took a big step toward the main round. They next face Uruguay on Friday, while the Faroe Islands will attempt to rebound in their upcoming match against Germany.

Player of the Match: Aljuš Anžič (Slovenia)

Group H
Tunisia vs United States of America 43:26 (24:16)

There was no stopping Tunisia’s free-flowing attack in the first half, as the African side provided an exciting outing against the United States of America, in their return at the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, after missing out for the first time in the 2023 edition.

The African side forced their opponents to take a team time-out after only eight minutes, jumping to a 7:2 lead, where Iyed Bouji and Hamza Bahri combined for five goals, being rendered unstoppable by the American defence.

The trend continued in the second part of the first 30 minutes, with Tunisia having an outstanding 83% shooting efficiency, as Bouji, Bahri and Iyed Chattali proved to be unstoppable, with the African side boasting an eight-goal lead, 24:16.

While the USA did everything in their power to limit the damage, and their top scorer, Simon Neumaier, had eight goals, after scoring 22 at the 2025 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship in June, there was nothing the American side could do to weather the storm.

Tunisia took advantage of USA’s 16 turnovers, scoring 10 goals via fast breaks, with four different 3:0 unanswered runs from the African side creating a double-digits lead for Tunisia, which eventually took a 43:26 win, as Bahri finished as the top scorer and the Player of the Match, with nine goals.

With the African side opening their account in the competition, the battle for the main round seems to be locked for the match against Czechia, while the USA need a miracle to secure a place in the next phase, facing Denmark and Czechia next.  

Player of the Match: Hamza Bahri (Tunisia)