A fantastic comeback saw Portugal secure their fifth win at Poland 2025, 31:29 against Sweden, helping the European side secure the first place in their main round group. Denmark also beat the Faroe Islands, 41:32, to clinch the first place in their group.

Main Round
Group II
Sweden vs Portugal 29:31 (21:16)

Both teams came into this match already knowing they had secured a place in the quarter-finals, but the battle for first place in the group was still very much on the table. With both Sweden and Portugal unbeaten so far, they both aimed to stay perfect at Poland 2025. After 60 intense minutes, it was Portugal who came out on top after an incredible comeback.

While the match looked like it could go either way, it was Sweden who made the first break. With Pelle Segertoft pulling the strings in attack and finding the net, Sweden opened up a 6:4 lead. Portugal had their chances, especially after some strong saves by Gonçalo Morgado between the posts, but their attack lacked variety.

Ricardo Brandão was doing most of the heavy lifting, while others struggled to find rhythm. Midway through the first half, Portugal were sitting at just 59% attacking efficiency. Sweden held a narrow advantage throughout most of the half, finding power from their defensive efforts and transition. They stretched the lead to 21:16 by halftime. However, the result doesn't say everything.

Portugal's attack actually improved in the final ten minutes, climbing to 64% efficiency, while Sweden dropped slightly to 68%. But seven turnovers in the first half made all the difference, and Sweden made sure to convert nearly every mistake into a goal.

The second half brought even higher intensity and Portugal came out firing. Goalkeeper Diogo Rêma Marques became the hero, producing save after save to fuel his team's comeback. In just 20 minutes, he stopped 8 of 13 attempts, and that shift between the posts gave Portugal exactly what they needed.

With Sweden's attack losing a bit of edge, Portugal closed the gap and eventually levelled the score at 24:24. Then came Xavier Barbosa, whose breakthrough pierced Sweden's defence to give his team the lead for the first time since 3:2. From that moment on, it was an incredible fight. The teams entered the final minute locked at 29:29, but Portugal showed more composure when it mattered most.

Rafael Vasconcelos found the net to give them the edge, and when Sweden tried to respond with a last-minute in-flight goal, Portugal read it perfectly and shut it down in the making. It opened the door for one final attack and Filipe Monteiro stepped up to seal the deal, making it 31:29 and handing Portugal a huge win in the battle for top spot in Group II.

Player of the Match: Diogo Rêma Marques (Portugal)

Group III
Denmark vs Faroe Islands 41:32 (20:17)

With both teams qualified for the quarter-finals, it was all about which one was going to secure the first place in the standings and set up a match against Norway in the next phase of the competition. But was securing the first place the most important in the overall picture or resting some key players before a crucial match on Thursday more important?

For the Faroe Islands, it seemed like the latter, as the top scorer of the 2025 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship, Oli Mittun, and the starting line player, Isak Vedelsbol, were rested, with the centre back only entering the court twice to try and convert two penalties for the Faroe side.

On the other hand, Denmark did start their best players, but rotation immediately ensued for Ulrik Kirkely’s team, as the two teams traded leads a few times in the first minutes, in a very fast-paced match, which saw both teams deliver 3:0 unanswered runs.

But Denmark had evidently more depth, as another one of their key players, right wing Magnus Pedersen, was in fine form, while centre back Frederik Emil Pedersen was handed a rest throughout the first half. Yet the Danish side still managed a three-goal lead, which they kept until the end of the first 30 minutes, 20:17.

The Faroe Islands used a seven-on-six attack for most of the match, but they still could not outpace Denmark, as they were clearly failing to stop their opponents, especially with their goalkeepers failing to improve a meagre 20% saving efficiency throughout the 60 minutes. As time passed, Denmark opened a five-goal lead, 29:24, with 17 minutes to go, with Faroe’s chacnes of progression fading.

That did not prompt Mittun or Vedelsbol to be used by coach Hjalti Mohr Jacobsen, which looked after his star players for the knockout phase of the competition. And that helped Denmark to jump to a 41:32 win, as Magnus Pedersen finished with nine goals, closely followed by right back Kristoffer Vestergaard, who had seven goals in the match.

The result means that they secured their fifth consecutive win at the 2025 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship and they won Group III of the main round. They will face Norway in an all-Scandinavian derby in the quarter-finals, while the Faroe Islands are due to meet Norway, as they aim to secure their maiden appearance in the semi-finals of the world handball flagship competition.

Player of the Match: Ola Jakup Gaard Olsen (Faroe Islands)

PRESIDENT'S CUP GROUP I
Uruguay vs Brazil 16:30 (9:19)

After four straight defeats, Brazil finally claimed their first win at Poland 2025, comfortably beating Uruguay in a South American duel. This result allowed the Brazilians to rank third in the group and proceed to the Placement Matches 25–28, while Uruguay will try to put an end to their losing streak in the Placement Matches 29–32.

The Brazilians quickly grabbed the initiative, firing from all angles and doing a good job in defence. Eight minutes into the match, they had already pulled clear at 8:1, prompting the Uruguayan coach to call his first timeout. Although Uruguay somewhat improved their shooting efficiency, Brazil maintained steady control of the game to cruise to a double-digit lead at half-time, 19:9.

After the break, Uruguay again needed a timeout to slightly improve their game, as they were unable to score a single goal until the 43rd minute. Brazil's shooting efficiency also dropped as they rotated the squad, but nothing could stop them from claiming two long-awaited points.

Eleven of their players netted at least once, with Vinicius Perin tallying seven goals and Player of the Match Joao Vitor Lindoso adding five more. In turn, Uruguay failed to reach the 20-goal mark again, but they still have two games at Poland 2025 to try to improve their results and statistics.

Player of the Match: Joao Vitor Lindoso (Brazil)