The first main round berths at the 2025 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship are ready to be handed on Thursday, in the second day of the competition, when 16 teams enter the fray, after seeing the court on Wednesday.

Provided they win, Serbia and Spain in Group C, Iceland in Group D, Egypt and Japan in Group G and Tunisia and Denmark in Group H will seal their main round berths. Yet some of these sides will have difficult tests, with Spain facing a wounded Croatia, while Tunisia meet Czechia in a do-or-die match.

Group C

• 17:15 Algeria vs Serbia
• 19:30 Spain vs Croatia

Group D

• 12:45 Saudi Arabia vs Iceland
• 15:00 Brazil vs Guinea

Group G

• 17:15 Japan vs Republic of Korea
• 19:30 Bahrain vs Egypt

Group H

• 12:45 United States of America vs Denmark
• 15:00 Tunisia vs Czechia

*all hours local time - EEST (CEST +1)

Group C
19:30 - Spain vs Croatia  

Spain and Croatia are set to close the second round in Cairo at Covered Hall, New Administrative Capital, with a clash that could shape the race for the main round. Spain enters the game in dominant fashion, having dismantled Algeria 49:19 in their opener.

Nacho Moyano's side showed no mercy, rotating the squad while still producing a ruthless performance, highlighted by Guido Bayo Giraudo's perfect 9/9 and goalkeepers David Failde Fuentes and Nicolas Freiria combining for 20 saves.

“Our opponent (Croatia) has one last chance to stay in the championship, and we will have to rise to the occasion to be able to add points,” said Nacho Moyano ahead of the clash.

Croatia, on the other hand, comes into this match under pressure after a narrow 25:26 loss to Serbia. Despite a poor first half, they mounted an impressive comeback in the second period, led by Josip Tomić, who scored eight.

The Croatian team will need to reproduce that fighting spirit from the start if they want to stand a chance against Spain who only recently won the Men's 19 EHF European Open 2025. With Spain eager to secure an early main round berth and Croatia desperate to rebound—as a new defeat will throw them out of the main round—this duel promises high intensity.

This generation of Spain and Croatia players will clash for the first time at a major championship, but their youth teams have history. Across six previous encounters at European and World level, the balance is perfectly split—three wins each. Spain, however, had the last win with a 37:29 victory in the semi-finals at Croatia 2023.

Group D
12:45 - Saudi Arabia vs Iceland  

Saudi Arabia enter the second round boosted by a dramatic opening draw against Brazil, where Abbas Alawazim's buzzer-beater sealed a precious point. The Asian side showed resilience, relying on strong individual efforts and surprising the South American side.

Goalkeeper Salman Almuyini, with 15 saves, was instrumental and will need to be at his best again to keep their hopes alive in a challenging group, especially against Iceland who plays fast-paced handball.

For Iceland, the opener against Guinea was not a true test. They cruised to a 41:19 win, comfortably rotating the squad and conserving energy for tougher matches ahead. The Icelandic team is flying high with confidence, knowing that another victory would almost secure a place in the main round, and they do have the upper hand.

The first game of the day in Covered Hall, New Administrative Capital, puts two teams with different momentum on the same court, and all that for the first time—Saudi Arabia and Iceland have never played against each other at the IHF Men's Youth World Championship.

Group G
19:30 - Bahrain vs Egypt  

Hosts Egypt couldn't have asked for a better start to their home campaign. With a convincing 46:27 win over the Republic of Korea, they sent a strong message even with a last-minute coaching change due to health problems. Under the guidance of new coach Fernando Barbeito, they showed team spirit and all but three outfield players scored.

That result also made them the third most efficient side of the opening day, trailing only behind Spain (49) and France (48) in goals scored. Hazem Elsabagh, Omar Baraka, and Adel Eletter were on a high in the first game and will seek to continue on that path.

Bahrain, meanwhile, showed promise despite a narrow 30:32 defeat to Japan. Their fighting spirit, disciplined defence, and the good performance of goalkeeper Haidar Salman kept them competitive until the very end.

They know that facing the hosts will be an even greater challenge, but also an opportunity to keep their main round hopes alive—any other outcome would leave them out. Both teams are aware of the stakes, and Bahrain face even greater pressure knowing Egypt won both of their previous encounters at the IHF Men's Youth World Championship—37:25 in 2017 and 35:28 in 2007.

Group H
15:00 - Tunisia vs Czechia  

Tunisia produced a dominant display on the opening day, dismantling the USA 43:26. Thirteen different scorers led their attack with Hamza Bahri coming into the spotlight with nine goals. A win against Czechia would give them a chance to progress further from the group for the fifth time at the Youth World Championship. They failed only on four occasions. This would open the door to the main round. With the support of their balanced squad and in-form goalkeepers, Tunisia will aim to maintain their strong start.

Czechia, making only their second appearance at this level, fought bravely against Denmark, holding the runners-up to a close 29:34 defeat. Roman Jahoda and Tomáš Koniček shone in attack, and the team showed they can compete with stronger opponents, but they lack the experience and matches at the high level.

“I think we showed decent performance against European vice-champions, and I hope we can continue that in the next match,” noted Czechia's head coach Jiří Hynek.

Entering this clash as underdogs, Czechia are eager to cause an upset and keep their possible main round hopes alive. However, it will not be easy against Tunisia and their specific defensive approach. Especially as the two have never met or played against each other.