Denmark and Spain secured their fourth wins at the 2025 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, with almost identical scores, 38:25 against Japan and 37:25 against Saudi Arabia, edging even closer to progressing to the quarter-finals.

Group IV
Denmark vs Japan 38:25 (19:11)

Denmark had an up-and-down roller-coaster type of a preliminary round at the 2025 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, where they had won against Czechia, the United States of America and Tunisia, but they were down against all sides during their matches.

Therefore, with the business end of the competition approaching, there was no question about the Scandinavian side needing to improve their performance and that is exactly what they did against Japan, starting off the match with a 5:0 unanswered performance, preventing the Asian side to score for the first six minutes and 25 seconds.

With Frederik Nygaard Jespersen and Emil Darling Sorensen scoring for fun in the first half, the gap grew even bigger, as after 20 minutes, Japan’s efficiency was down to 29% and the two Denmark goalkeepers, Carl Poulsen and Johannes Dalsgaard had a combined saving efficiency of 50%.

Japan did everything they could, but their attack was severly limited by the strong Danish defence, and at the break, the Asian side, which needed to win to extend their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals, was down by a whopping eight-goal margin, 19:11.

There was no slowing down Denmark, which continued to pounce in the second half and they eventually matched the output from their first half, scoring 19 times, to jump to a 38:25 win against Japan, their fourth in four matches at Egypt 2025, leaving Japan with an outside chance of progressing.

Player of the Match: Emil Hansen (Denmark)

Main Round – Group II
Spain vs Saudi Arabia 37:25 (23:10)

Saudi Arabia battled valiantly to reach the main round, but a meeting with a European powerhouse always promised to be arduous. Spain, entering the phase on the back of three consecutive wins, asserted control immediately. After Saudi Arabia’s brief 1:0 lead, Spain accelerated with a 7:1 run, featuring six different scorers.

Struggling to find solutions in attack, Saudi Arabia endured a seven-minute drought before netting their second goal. Defensive lapses and 10 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes left them exposed, and Spain capitalised to establish a 20:9 advantage. By half-time, Marcos Fis Ballester, Ian Barrufet and David Amigó had combined for 13 goals, putting Spain firmly in command.

With a +13 cushion, Spain eased off early in the second half, allowing Saudi Arabia to trim the deficit to 24:14. While not decisive, the spell offered the Asian side a morale boost. Spain responded with a time-out, switched to a 5–1 defence and played seven-on-six in attack, quickly reasserting control.

The adjustments proved effective, and by the 50th minute Spain had stretched the score to 28:15, with minutes spread across the roster. Twelve of their 14 outfield players found the scoresheet. Saudi Arabia varied their tactics to limit the margin, ultimately falling by 12.

With this victory, Spain move top of Group II on four points and have the quarter-finals well within reach ahead of their clash with Iceland. Saudi Arabia meet Serbia on Tuesday, seeking another win at this World Championship.

Player of the Match: Marcos Fis Ballester (Spain)

President’s Cup – Group III
Faroe Islands vs Mexico 41:16 (19:6)

Mexico continued to struggle to establish rhythm at Egypt 2025. Following heavy defeats to France, Norway and Argentina, a difficult first half against the Faroe Islands followed a similar pattern. Offensive errors born of inexperience proved costly as Mexico managed only two goals in the first 16 minutes, the second after an 11-minute drought.

The Faroe Islands took full advantage, racing to an 8:2 lead. The margin might have been even greater, but their shooting efficiency hovered around 67% for much of the half. By the 24th minute, the gap had reached +10 (15:5), with Mexico offering little threat in attack. The Faroese goalkeeper faced only nine shots on target, saving three, while all three Mexican goalkeepers featured and each recorded a single save.

The second half became a formality as the Faroe Islands rotated heavily to conserve energy for upcoming matches. Mexico sought to surpass their tournament-high of 16 goals but were stuck on 13 in the 54th minute. The Faroese hit a 20-goal lead when Torkil Dahl converted from the left wing, later cruising to 36:13 before closing out comfortably. In the final minutes, Mexico did match their tournament-high of 16 goals—equal to their tally against Argentina—but it did little to alter the narrative of a dominant Faroese performance.

With this win, the Faroe Islands move to four points and edge closer to contending for the President’s Cup trophy. Mexico, still seeking their first victory, will turn their focus to Uruguay in hopes of avoiding the battle for the final positions.

Player of the Match: Jákup Egholm (Faroe Islands)

President’s Cup – Group IV
Bahrain vs United States of America 39:33 (23:13)

Bahrain opened their President’s Cup campaign with a second consecutive win, keeping alive their chances of topping Group IV and progressing to the Placement Matches 17–20. Conversely, the United States of America remain without a point at Egypt 2025, having lost all four of their matches.

The USA never led, as Bahrain seized control early and moved ahead 10:5 by the 11th minute. The Asian side relied on disciplined defence and a cohesive team display, repeatedly punishing the North Americans’ turnovers. A 6:0 run established the first double-digit advantage, 16:6, by the 19th minute. Although the USA replied with a 3:0 surge, Bahrain restored a 10-goal cushion just before the break when Abbas Ali converted from the seven-metre line.

After the interval, Ali and Ahmed Eid continued to spearhead Bahrain’s attack, pushing the lead to 30:19 by the 40th minute. A subsequent sequence of ball losses and missed shots halted Bahrain’s scoring for eight minutes, allowing the USA—spurred by Edwin Bengtsson—to string together a 6:0 run and reduce the deficit to 25:30.

The North Americans briefly rekindled their hopes, but Bahrain reasserted control. A 4:0 run opened a 35:26 gap in the 53rd minute, effectively sealing the outcome. Mahmood Yusuf, who contributed seven assists alongside five goals, was named Player of the Match. While the USA improved offensively after half-time and registered 33 goals—their highest tally in a single game at Egypt 2025—Bahrain were clearly the superior side.

Player of the Match: Mahmood Yusuf (Bahrain)