Chile delivered the big surprise of the inaugural day of the 2026 IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship, taking a 2:1 win over reigning champions Egypt, while hosts Spain opened their account against Libya in straight sets.

Group A
Libya vs Spain 0:2 (7:9; 5:10)

Hosts Spain made their debut at the IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship with a win against Libya, but if after three minutes it looked like the European side would have an easy match.

But it was far from the walk in the park they envisioned, as Libya promptly provided a sturdy comeback. Spain led by five points, 6:1, after four minutes, but could only manage to score three other points, while Libya polished their attack.

Miguel García Gomar and Lorenzo Envo Edjang Nsa combined for the nine points in the first set, and it was enough to keep the African side at bay, which got as close as two points, 6:8, before Spain took the first set, 9:7.

But the second set was even closer. Spain took the lead, 2:0, but Libya briefly upped the tempo and scored three points, before the hosts had three on a trot to open a two-point lead, 5:3, as Libya started turning the ball over and missing too many shots.

It was indeed a fantastic second part of the set for Spain, which did not concede any point in the last seven minutes, to go up 10:3 and secure the win, as Edjang Nsa finished with seven points, as many as Garcia Gomar.

Both teams play tomorrow against France, as the preliminary round draws to a close, with the two European sides now in pole-position to clinch a place in the quarter-finals.

Group D
Egypt vs Chile 1:2 (8:7; 7:9; 2:5)

The first shock of the 2026 IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship came early, in the third match of the inaugural day, where Chile dropped a bombshell and secured a gamechanging win against the reigning champions, Egypt, after dominating the African powerhouse in the third set.

It was Egypt’s third loss in 12 matches at the IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship and the signs were there from the start, with the reigning champions clinching the first set by the skin of their teeth.

The top scorer of the previous edition, Magdy Talaat Abdo Abbas, was once again Egypt’s top scorer, but the African side starting conceding more and more ground in the second set. Their spinning shots landed in only 33% of the cases and they barely hit 50% in efficiency in the one-point shots, opening a clear path for Chile to produce a shock.

And this is exactly what the South American side did. With Jorge Carrasco (six points) and Jonathan Veas (seven points) leading the way, Chile took the second set, 9:7, while Carrasco and Veas also shined between the posts, posting a 57% and a 33% saving efficiency respectively.

The two sides still have to meet debutants Lithuania, but this loss will act as a strong warning sign for Egypt, which have lacked the chemistry and the efficiency which helped them finish on the podium twice in the previous two editions.