Main round? Checked! We are nearly there, ready to find out who will be the new world champion. Yes, there will be a new champion as the winners at Japan 2019, the Netherlands, are out of the competition after their 34:37 loss against Norway yesterday evening.

Quarter-finals? Here we go! There was a one-day rest for the teams from Groups III and IV of the main round, which will collide today in Granollers, with a ticket for the semi-finals waiting.

But let’s see what happened yesterday, in an action-packed day, that was probably one of the most exciting at Spain 2021. European powerhouse Norway shook off their rust after the draw against Sweden to bounce back against the Netherlands and seal the first place in Group II, progressing to the quarter-finals, with a 37:34 win. Sweden joined their Scandinavian rivals with a straightforward win against Romania, 34:30, while Puerto Rico downed Kazakhstan in the other game of the group. 

France and RHF were already qualified to the quarter-finals, therefore their game on Monday evening in Granollers, could only decide who was going to win Group I of the main round. It was France, who will be playing against Sweden in the quarter-finals, while RHF face Norway in a crunch clash. Poland beat Montenegro, while Serbia beat Slovenia in the other matches of the group. 

Don’t forget about the President’s Cup, as we are heading towards a final between Angola and Slovakia, after the African team won against Uzbekistan, 52:11. The darlings of the competition, the Islamic Republic of Iran, finished last in Group I after their loss against Cameroon, 32:17.

So on to today, which brings us the first quarter-finals at the 25th IHF Women’s World Championship. There are two teams that won all of their six games coming into the knock-out phase of the competition – hosts Spain and Denmark – and they are favourites in their matches in Granollers.

Spain have been nothing short of superb, albeit a few turnovers that spiced up their games, but they won six out of six, including their game against Brazil, the last in Torrevieja. Buoyed by a rapturous crowd, ‘Las Guerreras’ defeated every opponent they faced and now they will be in a tight battle with Germany, as two teams with different styles from the same continent collide in Granollers. 

Meanwhile, Denmark, a superb defensive powerhouse, come into the quarter-final with six wins in six games, conceding only 107 goals in 6 games, an outstanding feature, despite facing teams like Hungary, the Czech Republic or the Republic of Korea. Sure, their opponent will be even tougher now, with Brazil also impressing at Spain 2021, but the defensive nous of Denmark, improved seriously under coach Jesper Jensen, makes the European team the favourite in this tie. 

Netherlands are far from a rebuild, they are still reaping what they planted a few decades ago, but with a new coach at the helm, the team looks a bit different. Sure, they might have lost only once, shattered their record win at the IHF Women’s World Championship three times at Spain 2021, but are still out of contention. Yet the future looks good, especially with Monique Tijsterman as the head coach. 

We also talked with Iuliia Managarova, RHF’s superb right wing, who talked a little about the current state of affairs in her team. 

After Sweden progressed to the quarter-finals, courtesy of their win against Romania, it looks like there will be no stopping right wing Nathalie Hagman in becoming the top scorer of the competition. Hagman has put 60 goals past Sweden’s opponents in the first six matches, while boasting an impressive advantage over the next player still to be in the competition, Angola’s Albertina Kassoma, who scored 32 times. 

There have also been amazing goalkeeping efforts in this competition, as Denmark’s Althea Reinhardt is leading the way, with an outstanding 56% saving efficiency. The largest number of saves at Spain 2021 is, however, held by Dutch shot stopper Tess Wester, with 72.

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! 

And do not forget to also follow our Instagram account dedicated to this competition, available here.