There are two spots still available for the quarter-finals from the main round Group I in Herning, with both Germany and Denmark being able to seal them, provided they win against Italy and Switzerland respectively.

Teams in Main Round Group II are ready for crucial duels in Varaždin, as the World Championship intensifies, with high stakes for some teams. France are aiming to stay unbeaten and confirm their quarter-final spot, while Hungary, Austria and the Netherlands still have everything to play for. North Macedonia are in a tough position, but not all is lost yet, while Qatar seek their first win against a European side.

The President's Cup continues in Poreč as Group I are ready for their second game in a fight for glory. In the African derby between Algeria and Guinea, both teams are aiming for their first victory at Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025, while Poland and Kuwait will seek their second-straight win in Poreč, Croatia.

Main Round - Group I

• 15:30 CET Tunisia vs Czech Republic

Despite Islem Jbeli's 11-goal outing, Tunisia came up short in their opening main round match against Switzerland, losing 26:37. With zero points, the African side has no chance of reaching the quarter-finals, and while they have already secured better placement than at Egypt 2021 and Poland/Sweden 2023, when they finished 25th, Tunisia hope to grab some points in the two remaining matches.

"I think we weren't really focused against Switzerland, maybe we were a little bit too happy after qualifying for the main round. It's a big mistake, we have to get down to earth again and control our emotions more. We still have two games, and we have to show our best, like we did in the group stage," goalkeeper Yassine Belkaied said.

Now the Africans face the fifth-placed Czechia, the team who has one point and are yet to claim their first victory at Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025. Xavi Sabate's team has struggled a lot in attack throughout the tournament, scoring just 76 goals in four games (19 on average). Their first main round match was no exception, as Czechia lost to Italy in an all-European clash, 18:25.

"Italy had more desire to win. In this tournament, we have some problems with shooting efficiency, and Domenico Ebner was fantastic in Italy's goal, which decided the match," Xavi Sabate said at the post-match press conference.

Tunisia won both previous encounters against Czechia at the IHF Men's World Championship, 36:25 at Tunisia 2005 and 25:21 at Germany 2007. If the Africans also have the upper hand on Thursday, they will leapfrog their rivals in the table and climb to the fifth place in Group I. 

• 18:00 CET Italy vs Germany

For Italy, this IHF Men's World Championship is like a fairy tale. Playing at this level for only the second time in history and for the first time in this century, Italy have become the surprise package of the competition, winning three of their four matches so far and losing only to the defending champions Denmark. 

After defeating Algeria and Tunisia at the group stage, the Italians put on an impressive performance in their opening main round match against Czechia, winning by seven goals. Riccardo Trillini's team defended well, and their goalkeeper Domenico Ebner stood like a wall, boasting a 44% saving efficiency.

"At the moment, we have a lot of good vibes from our fans in Italy. It's a wonderful moment for us, and we want to do our best and improve match after match," Italy's centre back Simone Mengon said.

With four points, the Italians are currently third-placed in Group I, behind Germany only on goal difference, and on Thursday, these two teams will face each other in a crucial encounter, as the winner will secure a quarter-final spot provided that Denmark beat Switzerland.

Germany have much more experience at the major international competitions than Italy, but so far, their performance at the current tournament has not been quite convincing. Alfred Gislason's team somewhat struggled in their group matches, even despite claiming three straight victories, and they were defeated 30:40 by Denmark in an opening main round game, struggling in defence. 

However, everything is still in Germany's hands, and now they are determined to prepare for the do-or-die game against Italy in the best possible way. Provided they win this match, they will reach the quarter-finals if Denmark win against Switzerland.

"Now we have to really focus on the Italians, who took a surprisingly clear win against Czechia with a very aggressive defence," Gislason said.

• 20:30 CET Denmark vs Switzerland

Looking for their fourth straight IHF Men's World Championship title, Denmark seem to be unstoppable at Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025. After three straight wins in the preliminary round, the title holders opened the main round in style, claiming a 40:30 win against Germany and extended their record unbeaten streak at the world flagship handball competition to 32 games.

The first half of this encounter was a pure demonstration of the Danish attacking power, as they scored 24 goals in 30 minutes. In-form Mathias Gidsel played a superb match, contributing to his team's victory with 10 goals and 11 assists.
Overall, Denmark scored 158 goals in four matches at the tournament (39.5 on average), and they top Group I with the maximum of six points. With a win against Switzerland, Nikolaj Jacobsen's team will book their quarter-final ticket with one main round match to play.

The Swiss side also retain some chances to progress, even if it is a very challenging task. But in any case, the young team coached by Andy Schmid has already impressed at the current edition of the IHF Men’s World Championship, reaching the main round and then showing a superb attacking performance against Tunisia, winning 37:26. It was actually Switzerland's second-largest win in a history at the World Championship, after a 28:15 victory against USA at Iceland 1995. 

"It's a lot of fun to play with these guys, and every game gives us more and more confidence. We are looking forward to the game against Denmark. We know that it will not be easy, the hall will be full, but it's good," Swiss right back Dimitrij Küttel said.

Main Round - Group II

• 15:30 CET North Macedonia vs Qatar

The European side’s campaign has been marked by close calls, with two hard-fought draws leaving them on two points carried to the main round and a slim chance of progressing to the quarter-finals. However, Kiril Lazarov's team wants to get a hold of at least one win in the main round, which would be a great reward for the team and the fans who travelled to Varaždin, Croatia.

Filip Kuzmanovski has emerged as the heart of this young team, showcasing his leadership with 35 goals in four matches, including a buzzer-beater against Austria, saving a point. Their solid defence and fast-paced gameplay might just be the combination they need to beat Qatar.

Qatar, led by Veselin Vujović, who also holds a special spot in the heart of the fans of the European side, reached their first goal by being in the main round. However, as the only team coming in without points, they knew they would have a hard time keeping up with all European opponents.

However, against the Netherlands, they fought hard and gave their best performance at the competition, but only lost in a thrilling way. Just like for their opponents, their back court players remained their strongholds, with Frankis Marzo and Žarko Marković leading the way. Now, without any chance to come near the top, they will fight for the best placement possible, and winning this match is a priority.

This will mark only the second match between the two sides — their first duel was at the World Championship in 2013 when North Macedonia won 34:30 in the group phase.

• 18:00 CET Netherlands vs France

The Netherlands enter this match with four points and their hopes alive after a dramatic last-second win against Qatar have been boosted. Sitting in second place, they face the ultimate test against undefeated France, who have been dominant throughout the competition.

Guillaume Gille's team has shown incredible depth, with every player contributing throughout the first four matches. France's attack, spearheaded by Thibaud Briet and Dika Mem, is scoring 38 goals per game on average, making them the second-best attack of the competition. However, it's their defence that sets them apart, conceding eight goals less per game than the Netherlands, and it's also the starting point for their fast breaks.

“Now, it's the Netherlands. We saw them play against Qatar, they are capable of defending a little differently,” said Nedim Rémili, France’s centre back.

The Dutch players will have to adapt their defensive display against France, especially with their shorter lineup. However, they will try to compensate with the attack. The Netherlands are not far away in terms of efficiency in the attack, scoring 36.75 goals per game on average as they rely on their fast-paced play and the brilliance of Luc Steins, along with Rutger Ten Velde, who is the competition's top scorer with 37 goals.

A win would also see France sail into the quarter-finals, as they would open an unassailable lead in the front of the group, with at least three points ahead of any rival, meaning that they will finish first irrespective of the result of their last match. 

The Netherlands and France clashed only once at the World Championship — in 1961 when France won 21:11. Their most recent duel at the major competition was at the Men's EHF EURO 2022, with France being victorious 34:24, while the Netherlands won nine times total across 48 matches between the two.

• 20:30 CET Hungary vs Austria

Austria still have everything in their hands following their thrilling draw with Kiril Lazarov’s side in the previous match. Aleš Pajovič's team are sitting in fourth place with three points and will fight to leapfrog Hungary who remained on three points after the loss against France.

Austria, whose play is still affected by the injuries of Nikola Bylik, Janko Božović and Boris Živković, fought hard at the World Championship using their main weapon — the seven-against-six attack - to win. However, in the previous match, they were not as efficient in the defence, especially in one-on-one duels that came in the way of a more steady flow, and they will try to improve on that segment against Hungary and win in their 900th international game.

“We came here for exactly these kinds of games - to play in the main round and fight for the quarter-finals,” says Austria's Sebastian Frimmel, who plays for OTP Bank-Pick Szeged and know his opponents very well.

“We have a kind of "final" against Austria,” says Hungary's head coach Chema Rodriguez. For Hungary, the match against Austria is of the utmost importance. Losing would mean their quarter-finals chances would be crushed. They suffered a heavy defeat against France, and could not find the right rhythm, and even their seven-on-six play was not up to the standard. 

Austria and Hungary clashed at the Men's EHF EURO 2024 main round, with Austria taking 30:29. However, two of their top scorers from that match are not at the World Championship, but Aleš Pajovič's team will try to repeat the success. When it comes to the world handball flagship competition, their only duel was in 2011 when Hungary won 32:30.

President's Cup - Group I

• 15:30 CET Algeria vs Guinea

Two two African sides will meet for the first time in the World Championship history, after previously only meeting two times at the CAHB Men’s African Championship. Algeria, the continent’s vice-champions, came close to winning in their group phase match against Tunisia, but narrowly lost by one goal. Now, they will look to build on their spirited performance in the last game against Poland, where they stayed competitive for a fair amount of time, losing 32:38.

Once again, the key figure in Algeria's attack will be Ayyoub Abdi, their standout scorer from Nantes, with goalkeeper Khalifa Ghedbane being here as a big support, even though he did not play against Poland, giving more time between the posts to Yahia Zemouchi. Algeria will also need to rely on their defensive set-up against Guinea, who had problems in the attack, especially when it comes to their back shooter aim.

For Guinea, their maiden World Championship victory is still a dream they are currently living, and they have good motivation to try and earn it against a familiar opponent. Players like Theo Lebon and Yven Corcher have stepped up against Kuwait, but their biggest stronghold is Tremblay Handball goalkeeper Rubens Pierre, who has been incredible at the competition, collecting 62 saves in four games pr 15,5 saves per game on average.

If both sides want to keep their hopes alive of avoiding a duel for the last place, they need to step up and win as both are facing stronger opponents in the last round. In  their last  two games at the African Championship in 2022, Guinea won 28:22 in the group phase, but Algeria hot their revenge and won 27:26 in the fifth placement match.

• 18:00 CET Poland vs Kuwait

After a somewhat disappointing preliminary round, especially when it comes to Poland, both teams started their President's Cup campaign with a win. While Poland were off to a convincing win against Algeria, Kuwait had a tougher challenge against Guinea but ultimately won 26:24.

The only European side of the President's Cup, Poland, will see their lowest World Championship finish ever, but they have made clear they intend to win the consolation round. Their experienced and well-structured team has the upper hand against all three teams in the President's Cup despite not having Arkadiusz Moryto and Kamil Syprzak in their first game against Algeria.

“We will definitely have problems with their defence, which is based on an aggressive 3-2-1 formation. It is not a defence we like to play against, so we have to prepare well for it,” says Poland's head coach Marcin Lijewski.

Kuwait might not be the favourites to win this match, but they will enter the match with confidence after a dramatic win over Guinea. They have showcased team spirit and fight with Said Aidawani Abdulaziz Alshammari leading the team. While their young team lacks experience, playing for the first time on the big stage in 16 years, they have shown they can learn from each experience.

This will be the only third clash in history between these two teams – they first met in a friendly game in 1991 when Kuwait won 24:23, but in 2003 at the IHF Men’s World Championship, Poland grabbed a 36:21 win.