Hungary and Switzerland will feature in the Placement Match 13/14 at Poland 2024, after registering double-digits wins against Romania and Japan respectively.

Placement Matches 13-16
Hungary vs Romania 31:19 (13:10)

After conceding three consecutive losses, Hungary were poised to bounce back against Romania in the Placement Matches 13-16, trying to improve their placement at the end of the competition.

At Poland 2025, Romania impressed in the opening match against Iceland, won against North Macedonia, but after this match against Hungary, they are on a four-match losing streak and the last one was probably the most painful, coming in double digits.

It was a familiar story for Romania, which could only stay close to Denmark and France in the previous two matches in the first half, as their lack of depth proved decisive. And once again here, Romania had their issues, which finally led to a clear 31:19 win for Hungary.

The first warning sign for Romania came between the 12th and the 22nd minutes, when Hungary went on a 7:0 unanswered run, which turned the match on its head and created the three-goal lead at the break, 13:10.

With Hungary’s goalkeeper Nándor Hunor Győri finishing the match with 18 saves for a 64% saving efficiency, Romania could only muster nine goals in the second half, and Hungary went on another 7:0 scoring spree, to secure their first win after three consecutive losses.

Player of the Match: Nándor Hunor Győri (Hungary)

Japan vs Switzerland 28:40 (8:16)

Returning to the IHF Men’s Junior World Championship for the first time since 2013, Switzerland were handed a tough draw, but still made it to the main round and they aimed to finish the competition on a high, despite having no chance of securing a top-1o finish.

The Swiss side could finish on the 13th place, but for that they first needed to beat Japan, which they thoroughly did, with a strong end in the first half, as the Asian side scored only one goal in the last 13 minutes.

After Japan took a 7:6 lead after 17 minutes, Switzerland ended the first half with a 9:1 run, especially thanks to their defence, as goalkeeper Matthieu Seravalli had a 38% saving efficiency and 10 saves at the end of the first half. Those saves quickly were turned into fast breaks, where Switzerland excelled.

Right wing Gino Steenaerts, who already made his debut at the senior IHF Men’s World Championship in January, took the cream of the crop, with nine goals, as Switzerland had runs of 3:0 and 4:0 throughout the second half, taking advantage of Japan’s plethora of turnovers – 18 -  throughout the match.

Eventually, Switzerland will face Hungary in the Placement Match 13/14, while Japan meet Romania in the Placement Match 15/16, after the European side clinched a 40:28 win at the end of the match.

Player of the Match: Gino Steenaerts (Switzerland)

Placement Matches 17-20
Poland vs Iceland 32:38 (18:18)

Iceland opened strong and took the lead early on, but Poland soon turned the tide. From the 5th to the 20th minute, they looked sharper and more composed, pulling ahead with a few comfortable three-goal leads, including 13:10, thanks to Piotr Mielczarski keeping things in motion.

But Iceland never let go. Each time Poland tried to break away, Elmar Erlingsson and Össur Haraldsson found a way to claw it back, sometimes just to level the score, sometimes to take a minimal lead. It was a constant back-and-forth, and by the time the first half ended, nothing could separate them.

It took only five minutes for Iceland to shift gears in the second half. Elmar Erlingsson led the charge—he finished with 11 goals and netted the one that made it 23:20. From that moment on, the hosts had no reply. Goalkeeper Ísak Steinsson added fuel to the fire, and Iceland cruised through the rest of the match with full control, securing a 38:32 win.

Poland will not be repeating their 2023 finish when they placed 17th. Instead, they will now battle for 19th place. Iceland, on the other hand, have never finished lower than 14th—and with this win, they now head to the President's Cup final, chasing a 17th-place finish.

Player of the Match: Piotr Mielczarski (Poland)

Algeria vs Serbia 25:34 (10:17)

Serbia secured a battle for the President's Cup trophy against Iceland after a convincing win against Algeria. After a somewhat equal start, where Serbia held a narrow lead, the second part of the half brought more control for the European side. Boosted by a string of saves from Nikola Zorić, Serbia pulled ahead—first to 12:8 and then with another unanswered run to 16:9—effectively deciding the match by halftime.

Nothing changed in the next 30 minutes. On the Algerian side, Adel Guemeida and Bendiab Mohamed Ali tried to ignite a response, but Serbia's wider squad and experience kept them on a short leash. Milija Papović and Vukašin Antonijević were more than efficient, netting eight and seven, respectively. Near the end of the game, they reached their second double-digit lead and Algeria only managed to soothe the defeat.

Serbia will now face Iceland in the President's Cup final, aiming to claim 17th place at Poland 2025 and finish on a high. Algeria, meanwhile, will go up against Poland in the battle for 19th, a placement that would mark a clear step forward from their 22nd finish two years ago.

Player of the Match: Vukašin Antonijević (Serbia)

Placement Matches 25-28
Brazil vs North Macedonia 37:38 (18:21, 34:34)

Following a win in a penalty shootout, the European side earned a Placement Match 25/26 ticket and will play their last match on Friday against either United States of America or Bahrain. In turn, Brazil, who had claimed their maiden victory at the tournament against Uruguay two days before, will fight for the 27th position tomorrow.

The opening phase of the game was very tight, as the rivals mostly traded goals before they were level at 9:9. Brazil then had a 3:0 run, but their opponents responded with their own 4:0 run, spurred by Valentin Karasmanakis. His teammate Mirche Kalajdjieski scored six goals from six attempts before the break, and the European team led by three goals (21:18) after a high-scoring opening half.

However, it was Brazil who had the upper hand in much of the second half. Lucas Da Silva, who had a tally of six goals already by half-time, continued to fire from all cylinders and ended up with 11 goals. The South Americans needed less than five minutes to draw level, and they gained momentum, creating a 29:25 lead midway through the second half.

The European side looked better late in the regular time, and Dmitar Urunchev equalized at 34:34 with seven seconds remaining, sending the match into a penalty shootout. And Radoslav Stojanovikj's side won it 4:3, as their goalkeeper Ivan Galevski saved two shots.

Player of the Match: Lucas Da Silva (Brazil)

Placement Matches 29-32
Canada vs Saudi Arabia 21:44 (9:22)

Both teams had failed to take any points in their previous matches at Poland 2025, so they were both determined to end these negative streaks. However, the match proved to be quite one-sided, as Saudi Arabia were dominant throughout the 60 minutes and claimed a long-awaited victory.

The Asian side had fought hard in many of their games at the tournament, and now they finally enjoyed a positive result, also hitting the 40-goal mark. Notably, Saudi Arabia scored as many as 10 goals from fast breaks, and 12 of their players put their names on the scoresheet. The goalkeepers also did well, as Hussain Alsafwani and Mohammed Alhamad combined for 15 saves. For Canada, Antoine Desbiens stood out with six goals, earning the Player of the Match award.

Saudi Arabia booked their ticket to the Placement Match 29/30, where they will meet Uruguay on Friday. In turn, Canada will try to secure their first win at the tournament in the Placement Match 31/32, where they will face Mexico.

Player of the Match: Antoine Desbiens (Canada)