France and Japan finished third in their respective groups in the main round of the 2026 IHF Women's Youth World Championship and are still hoping for a top-10 finish, after wins against the Republic of Korea and Slovenia respectively.

Group I
France vs Republic of Korea 23:18 (6:9)

Despite missing out on a quarter-final spot, both rivals were motivated to bounce back from Monday's defeats and finish third in the group. And it was France who did so, despite scoring just six goals in the opening half, meaning the Europeans will now head to the Placement Matches 9–12. The Republic of Korea, who finished bottom of the group, will wrap up the tournament in the Placement Matches 13–16.

A couple of early goals from right wing Eunyool Cho handed Korea a 3:1 lead in the sixth minute. However, a combination of missed shots and turnovers stopped the Asian side from scoring a single goal in the following 12 minutes.

But France also struggled in attack, netting just once during the same period. After 20 minutes, the goalkeepers of both sides stood at a 50% save efficiency, and then the Koreans pulled clear with a 3:0 run, finishing the low-scoring first half with a three-goal cushion.

However, France improved their performance significantly after the restart. Gabrielle Kabeya Tshisola continued to deliver saves, while Gabrielle Buisson stepped up in attack, ultimately becoming the top scorer of the game with 11 goals, nearly half of her team's tally.

Between the 37th and 41st minutes, she sparked a 3:0 run which handed France their first lead in the match, 13:12. Korea tried to fight back and drew level at 15:15 with nearly 10 minutes to play. However, France's 5:0 surge in the following five minutes proved crucial and sealed the deal for the European side.

Player of the Match: Gabrielle Buisson (France)

Main Round Group IV
Japan vs Slovenia 34:30 (19:13)

With both teams already out of quarter-final contention, Japan and Slovenia entered their final match at the 2026 IHF Women's Youth World Championship looking to end the tournament on a high.

The opening 15 minutes remained evenly balanced, but Slovenia's attacking mistakes gradually began to take their toll. The Europeans finished the first half with 10 turnovers and an attacking efficiency of just 42%, allowing Japan to punish them in transition.

The Asian side first reeled off a 3:0 unanswered run to move 13:9 ahead before repeating the feat later in the half to stretch the lead to 16:10. Miina Nakasuji and Kokomi Makino led the Japanese attack as the six-goal cushion gave Japan full control heading into the break.

Japan remained firmly in control for much of the second half, but as their tempo dropped and mistakes began to creep into their game, Slovenia sensed an opportunity. A deeper defensive setup, combined with a seven-against-six attack, fuelled the comeback as the Slovenians cut the deficit to 27:25 in the 49th minute. Goalkeeper Sara Selčan then added a series of important saves, reducing Japan's lead to just one with seven minutes remaining.

Slovenia had their chances to complete the turnaround, but a costly turnover while attacking without a goalkeeper proved decisive. Japan punished the mistake with an empty-net goal to restore a two-goal cushion and safely closed out a 34:30 victory.

Slovenia concluded only their fourth appearance at the IHF Women's Youth World Championship with an improved finish compared to 2022, when they placed 20th in North Macedonia. Having also finished 16th in 2016, the Slovenians can nevertheless take positives from a campaign in which they came close to reaching the quarter-finals.

Japan, on the other hand, will have to settle for a lower finish than at the previous edition, where they ended eighth, despite recording a victory in their final main round match.

Player of the Match: Katja Štukelj (Slovenia)