The Faroe Islands secured their maiden win at the IHF Women's Junior World Championship, 23:22, against Croatia, boosting the European side's chances to progress to the main round.

Elsewhere, France, Germany and Denmark clinched big wins, virtually qualifying for the main round.

Group H
Faroe Islands vs Croatia 23:22 (14:11)

After opening-day defeats, both sides were eager to bounce back, and it showed in a hard-fought and evenly contested first half. The teams were deadlocked for most of the opening 30 minutes, with the Faroe Islands creating the first two-goal advantage in the early stages. Croatia took their first lead of the match in the 20th minute through Mirna Bursać, 9:8, but their attack soon faltered and, combined with the lack of saves between the posts, they entered a difficult spell.

Croatia scored only twice in the final 10 minutes of the first half, while the Faroe Islands stepped up a gear. Led by Rakul Borgarlid Joensen, the debutants regained control and headed into half-time with a 14:11 advantage.

The Croats spent the entire second half chasing that three-goal deficit, although they levelled at 14:14 immediately after the restart. The Faroe Islands quickly responded to restore a 19:16 lead, but a remarkable 10-minute scoring drought between the 45th and 55th minute disrupted the rhythm on both sides.

Croatia used their experience to claw their way back and drew level at 22:22 with two minutes remaining, when Tara Đelekovčan capitalised on the Faroe Islands’ 7-on-6 attack with an empty net after a strong defensive performance. However, the drama was not over as the Faroese found one final answer to take the lead, while Croatia’s last attack ended against the post, giving them a second consecutive defeat at China 2026.

Rakul Borgarlid Joensen and Silja Eystberg led the Faroe Islands with six goals each, while goalkeepers Gylta Á Neystabo and Maria Beder made six saves apiece. For Croatia, Mirna Bursać once again stood out with seven goals.

The Faroe Islands celebrated their historic first-ever win at the IHF Women’s Junior World Championship and kept their main round hopes alive ahead of a decisive clash with Norway. Meanwhile, Croatia face a tough clash against Japan on the third day.

hummel Player of the Match: Silja Eystberg (Faroe Islands)

Group A
India vs France 8:38 (4:22)

Reigning champions France claimed their second win at China 2026, taking a big step towards the main round. While they beat Sweden by just two goals, 24:22, the day before, the European side were entirely dominant against India, boasting an 88% shot efficiency.

The game was one-way traffic from the very beginning. France pulled away to a 9:0 lead before Shivani Devi scored India's first goal in the 11th minute. Devi scored three of her team's four goals in the opening half, but her side were unable to put any pressure on the titleholders.

France defended well and scored easily from counterattacks, and the gap between the rivals grew with almost every passing minute. After 20 minutes, the Europeans led 16:1 and went on to enjoy an 18-goal advantage at the interval.

The French team actively rotated their squad, and 13 players netted at least once during the game, with Louane Henry becoming the leading scorer with seven goals. Goalkeepers Maelle Landriau and Leane Gonzalez combined for 12 saves, restricting India to just eight goals.

On Saturday, France will wrap up the group stage with a match against Egypt, while India, who have no points after two games, will face Sweden.

Player of the Match: Emma Bureu-Cruz (France)

Group C
Canada vs Germany 11:46 (7:22)

Just like on the opening day against Romania, Canada could not keep up with one of the title favourites, Germany. The reigning W19 EHF EURO 2025 champions approached the match with great intensity from the opening whistle, racing to a 3:0 lead before gradually building their advantage.

The biggest gap came in the final 10 minutes of the first half, when Germany produced a 9:0 unanswered run, backed by goalkeeper Merle-Sophie Muth, who reached a 56% save efficiency by the break. On the other end, 11 different German players had already found the net.

Canada gave everything they had, but another shaky defensive display and an attack largely built on Florence Boisclair did not produce the desired outcome. They scored their first goal in the fourth minute, while their seventh and final goal of the half came in the 20th minute before Germany shut them out for the remainder of the opening 30 minutes.

Germany raised the tempo even further after the restart and kept Canada on a short leash, allowing them only two goals between the 36th and 55th minute. Mahély Lemaire was the only Canadian player to score more than twice, finishing with four goals from 14 attempts, as Canada recorded their second-lowest scoring output at an IHF Women’s Junior World Championship. Their lowest remains 10 goals against Yugoslavia at the 1999 edition, also held in China. Germany finished with 46 goals — the second-highest tally at China 2026 so far, behind only Egypt’s 56 against India.

With their second convincing victory, Germany all but secured a place in the main round ahead of the final group match against Romania. Canada have to face Brazil in their last group match before continuing their path in the President’s Cup.

hummel Player of the Match: Lara Egeling (Germany)

Group E
Algeria v Denmark 24:39 (12:19)

Just like in their opener against Guinea, Denmark did not press as much as needed in the first half, settling for a seven-goal lead, 19:12. But the idea was to stretch the roster as much as possible, as well as using this match as preparation for their future in the competition.

Denmark had 13 different scorers in the match, with Kirstine Emilie Hoppe scoring 10 goals, becoming the Player of the Match for the second time in as many matches. But what Denmark really did well was to build up the team, with 16 of their goals being assisted.

Coach Ole Lund Bitsch gave meaningful time to all the players in his squad, including his goalkeepers, as Denmark dominated the match, with the gap growing and growing and the winner being known from early in the second half, when the Scandinavian side started with a 8:0 unanswered run.

It was Denmark’s second win against African opposition, after the one against Guinea, and the Scandinavian side will be looking now at their last match in the preliminary round, when they are slated to face hosts People’s Republic of China.

Algeria lost their second match in a row and will face Guinea, as they aim to win against their African counterparts to secure a chance for a better finish at the end of the competition.

Player of the Match: Kirstine Emilie Hoppe (Denmark)