The main round of the 25th IHF Women’s World Championship threw off yesterday, with the big favourites winning their games and edging a step closer to the quarter-finals. Other European powerhouses, like reigning champions the Netherlands, European champions Norway and Olympic champions France are starting their path to the knock-out phase of Spain 2021 today.

First, a review of what happened yesterday in Granollers and Torrevieja. Hosts Spain took their fourth win in a row, 28:26 against Japan, holding on to their lead in Group IV, as Brazil mirrored Spain’s result with a superb 38:31 win against Austria. After Croatia beat Argentina in the first game of Group IV, Spain and Brazil boast a four-point advantage ahead of their opponents and need only a draw in the next match to proceed to the knock-out phase of the competition.

Denmark are also four out of four after disposing of Hungary in emphatic fashion, 30:19, followed by Germany, who extended their winning streak against Congo. Plucky Republic of Korea are still major players in this group, after disappointing the Czech Republic with a clear 32:26 win. 

In the President’s Cup, Slovakia and Paraguay secured their first wins of the competition, after beating Tunisia and the People’s Republic of China.

Before diving into the next batch of fixtures on Thursday, we are also taking a look back at the preliminary round, which ended two days ago. Do you want to relive the top moments of the first 48 games at Spain 2021? Well, you are only one click away. 

Okay, so now for today’s card, which features eight games once again. Group I consists only of European teams, therefore the battle should be on between them, with Serbia facing local rivals Montenegro, trying to improve their chances to proceed to the next phase. Meanwhile, RHF and France aim to extend their winning streaks when they take on Slovenia and Poland, with wins boosting their chances to proceed to the next phase. 

Back in Castelló's Group II, Norway are heavy favourites over Puerto Rico, as are Sweden against Kazakhstan. But will the Netherlands, who have been enjoying scoring a lot – best attack in the competition by far, with 144 goals – find a worthy challenger in Romania? 

Group I of the President’s Cup is also throwing off today, with two continental rivalries on display. Angola, the only side to reach the President’s Cup without conceding all three games in the preliminary round, face Cameroon, while the Islamic Republic of Iran, the darlings of Spain 2021, take on Uzbekistan. 

Do you know why Spain are so good at the 25th IHF Women’s World Championship? Probably playing at home, in front of their own fans, means something for the players. They won four out of four in the first matches, but now they face Croatia and Brazil, two tough opponents. Find out more about Spain and their mindset in our feature. 

The Czech Republic might be far from ideal at Spain 2021, but one of their players, left back Marketa Jerabkova, has really come of age in the tournament. Do you want to learn more about her? Simply click here. 

Well, this is not the perfect moment for Hungary, after conceding such a painful loss against Denmark, but their future looks really bright. It could not have been different, with all their success at the junior and youth events. How everything fits at senior level, though, is another question. The answer is here. 

We have also updated our stats page and we have a surprise, as Austria’s Patricia Kovacs is the leader of the top scorer standings, with 30 goals. Sweden’s Nathalie Hagman is second, with 29 goals and a game in hand, while China’s Mengqing Jin is third, two goals behind Kovacs. Do you want to find out more about the facts and figures at Spain 2021? Click here! 

You can also win prizes at Spain 2021, if you prove that you are a handball expert. Are you confident you can top the charts? Find out for yourself! 

Unfortunately, injuries happen and players do get replaced at Spain 2021, so you can keep track of everything here. 

Curious where you can follow your team on TV? Don’t worry, we also got you covered – simply click here! 

The IHF is working hard to bring you the very best from what is sure to be an exciting competition and wherever you are, there are many ways to follow the action! Make sure to be always up-to-date!