Portugal and Croatia will play the President's Cup final at the 2025 IHF Men's Youth World Championship, after securing wins against Tunisia and the Faroe Islands.

Placement Match 17–20
Croatia vs Tunisia 36:30 (15:16) 

Croatia claimed their fourth consecutive victory at Egypt 2025 with a spirited second-half comeback against Tunisia, winning 36:30 and advancing to the President’s Cup match. After opening the tournament with two frustrating defeats, the Europeans have steadily improved and will now fight for 17th place, while Tunisia move on to the Placement Match 19–20.  

The opening stages saw an exchange of goals before three unanswered strikes from Mahdi Teber gave Tunisia a 6:4 lead. Croatia worked hard to respond but could only reduce the deficit to a single goal on a couple of occasions.  

In the first half, Croatia’s goalkeeping duo combined for just three saves, while Tunisia’s Ahmed Ben Nasr produced an outstanding performance between the posts, registering 11 saves before the break. Teber continued to shine in attack, helping the African side open a 15:11 lead in the 27th minute. However, a 4:1 run by Croatia in the closing minutes of the half reduced the gap to just one goal at the interval.  

After the restart, the momentum shifted decisively. Matko Moslavac, later named Player of the Match, and Filip Jakov Begić led Croatia’s attack with impressive efficiency, both finishing with eight goals. A 4:0 run early in the half gave Croatia their first lead in a long time and a three-goal cushion at 19:16.  

Tunisia battled to close the gap, pulling within one goal several times, the last at 21:22 in the 41st minute. But over the next 10 minutes, Croatia seized full control, engineering a decisive 8:1 run. Their defense tightened significantly, and with Begić and Moslavac unstoppable in attack, the Europeans pulled away.  

Teber matched the Croatian top scorers with eight goals of his own, but it was not enough for Tunisia, who faded in the final 20 minutes and ultimately fell 36:30.  

Player of the Match: Matko Moslavac (Croatia)

Placement Matches 17-20  
Portugal vs Faroe Islands 39:28 (17:17)  

The Faroe Islands opened the game well, and with their quick tempo managed to pull away to a 7:4 lead after the first ten minutes. Portugal were slow to ignite but eventually warmed up, and by the 20th minute, thanks to goals from Pedro Rafael Velasco, Leonardo Miguel Anastácio and João Lourenço, they levelled the score at 10:10, effectively restarting the contest from scratch.  

With Magnus Arason leading their attack and a couple of saves from Ingi Johannesen, the Faroese tried to restore their earlier advantage. But each attempt was matched by Portugal, who used their defensive play to claw back and erase any deficit, ensuring the teams went into the break all square at 17:17.  

Portugal returned to the court with fresh energy and began steadily building a lead. The Faroe Islands seemed to lack their usual high pace, and the mounting pressure forced them into a string of turnovers, 16 in total. Portugal made them pay, especially between the 40th and 50th minute, when they turned a four-goal cushion into a ten-goal gap (35:25).  

With the victory all but secured, they cruised to a comfortable 39:28 win, driven by Player of the Match João Lourenço, who scored 11 to bring his championship tally to 53. On the opposite side, Pauli Rasmussen netted seven. Portugal will now face Croatia in the President’s Cup final, fighting for the consolation trophy, while the Faroe Islands meet Tunisia for 19th place.  

Player of the Match: João Lourenço (Portugal)

Placement Matches 21-24  
Kosovo vs Argentina 22:32 (9:20)  

Argentina completely caught Kosovo off guard in the first half. After a balanced opening 10 minutes, the South Americans produced a real burst of energy and quality. Their attack dismantled Kosovo’s defence with ease, posting a 68% attacking efficiency. The main driving forces were Bautista Alejandro Torossian, Juan Jeremias Bus Saldana, and Lionel Joaquin Peruchena, each netting four goals, and together proving to be the biggest contributors to Argentina’s commanding lead.  

On the other side, Kosovo struggled to find their trademark rhythm. A string of mistakes in attack, often caused by hasty attempts, halted their flow, with only Suad Pajaziti standing out for his good play. Once Simon Viera began to lock down the goal for Argentina — finishing the half with a 44% save rate — it was clear Kosovo would face a huge uphill battle in the second half.  

Not much changed after the break, as Kosovo continued to commit turnovers, with only Pajaziti scoring consistently. Argentina dictated the tempo until the very end and recorded another win at the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship.  

The South Americans will now play for 21st place, the same position they achieved in 2015 and 2017, marking an improvement from 23rd place in 2023. Kosovo, in their debut appearance at the World Championship, will remember it for the battle over 23rd place.  

Player of the Match: Juan Jeremias Bus Saldana  

Brazil vs Bahrain 33:25 (14:13)  

A strong second-half performance secured Brazil a win over Bahrain, meaning the South American side will finish Egypt 2025 with the Placement Match 21-22 and still have a chance to avoid their worst-ever placement at the World Championship, having previously finished 21st in 2019. In turn, Bahrain will fight for 23rd place, marking a step forward compared to their 29th-place finish in 2023.  

The first half was closely contested, with neither team able to establish even a two-goal cushion before the 25th minute. Brazil used a 3:0 run to go ahead 12:9, but Abuthar Yateem stepped up for Bahrain to draw the match level. A goal from Kelvin Barros in the final second of the half gave Brazil a narrow lead at the break.  

Bahrain's goalkeeper Mohamed Abdulhusan shone in the first period with a 47% save rate, keeping his team in the contest. After the restart, Bahrain managed to equalise quickly, but Brazil responded with a 4:0 run in just two and a half minutes to take control.  

The South Americans had more energy in the second half, which allowed them to improve their attacking efficiency. Eleven Brazilian players found the net, with George Melo De Siqueira and Marcos Oliveira leading the way once again, scoring six goals each.  

Combined with some key saves from Muriel Re Soares, their contributions helped Brazil open up a seven-goal advantage by the 47th minute at 27:18. From there, they maintained their control and closed out a well-deserved victory.  

Player of the Match: Muriel Re Soares (Brazil)