Key highlights of the day: Who will be the last quarter-finalist?

25 Jan. 2021

Key highlights of the day: Who will be the last quarter-finalist?

Day 13 of the 27th IHF Men’s World Championship is upon us and it is an exciting one, as we are going to find out the last team to proceed to the quarter-finals.

Seven teams have already wrapped up their places in the knockout phase at Egypt 2021, with Egypt, France, Norway and Sweden advancing in the championship after yesterday’s games, joining Denmark, Hungary and Spain in the quarter-final stage.

Hosts Egypt’s celebrations were dimmed by their 25:25 draw against Slovenia, with the Egyptian side mounting an amazing comeback to seal their place in the quarter-finals, where they will meet defending world champions Denmark, winner of Group II.

Sweden top Group IV and will face either Argentina, Croatia or Qatar in the quarter-finals, after defeating the Russian Handball Federation Team 34:20. 

The big news in Group III was, of course, Norway qualifying for the quarter-finals. The silver medallists at France 2017 and Germany/Denmark 2019 could have paid the price of losing against France in the preliminary round, despite winning their fifth game at Egypt 2021 35:33, against Iceland.

However, France displayed confidence and enjoyed their best game at Egypt 2021 yet, handing Portugal a devastating 32:23 defeat, and with that, their ticket home as it was the second loss for the Portuguese side.

Austria qualified for the final of the President’s Cup after their 36:29 win against Republic of Korea and will face the winner of President’s Cup Group I, either Tunisia or Angola, in the final on Wednesday. 

There are still crucial games to be played in Group I and Group II of the main round. Hungary and Spain have already progressed to the next phase, but they will face off today for the first place in the group. Only a win will help Spain to pass Hungary in the rankings. 

The game will probably be decided by small details and it is Hungary who seems to have the edge in that regard, with inside knowledge of the Spanish locker room. Their assistant coach, Chema Rodriguez, wore the national team jersey for Spain between 2005 and 2015, winning the gold medal at the IHF Men’s World Championship in 2005. 

Argentina need a win or a draw against Qatar in Group II to progress to the quarter-finals of the IHF Men’s World Championship for the first time ever, while Croatia’s hopes hang by a thread, as they face a must-win situation in the crunch game against Denmark. 

You can find out more about the different qualification scenarios by clicking here

Our new dashboard is offering all the statistics for the 27th IHF World Championship. Check it out and discover more about the top scorers, best goalkeepers, and search for the milestones your favourite player achieved at Egypt 2021. 

You can also watch the best goals, the best saves and the most exciting moments at Egypt 2021 on our Facebook page, like this superb rebound goal by Iceland’s Rurik Gislason in his team’s loss against Norway. 

As the main round reaches its climax, you can check the rankings on our special page and also view the schedule for the remaining games. 

Do not forget to set your alarm and watch your favourite teams on TV and follow all the updates of the IHF regarding the IHF men’s flagship event.