The preliminary round of the 2025 IHF Men's Youth World Championship will conclude on Saturday, 9 August, with 16 matches scheduled in the four venues in Cairo, New Administrative Capital and 6 of October.

10 spots are already ensured, with Egypt, Japan, France, Norway, Iceland, Slovenia, Hungary, Switzerland, Serbia and Spain already through, with the next six spots ready to be taken on Saturday.

Group A  

• 12:45 Kuwait vs Austria  
• 15:00 Sweden vs Portugal  

Group B  

• 17:15 Morocco vs Kosovo  
• 19:30 Hungary vs Switzerland

Group C

• 17:15 Croatia vs Algeria  
• 19:30 Serbia vs Spain  

Group D

• 12:45 Guinea vs Saudi Arabia 
• 15:00 Iceland vs Brazil 

Group E  

• 12:45 Uruguay vs Faroe Islands  
• 15:00 Germany vs Slovenia 

Group F  

• 17:15 Argentina vs Mexico  
• 19:30 Norway vs France 

Group G  

• 17:15 Republic of Korea vs Bahrain  
• 19:30 Egypt vs Japan

Group H  

• 12:45 Czechia vs United States  
• 15:00 Denmark vs Tunisia 

*all hours are local time, EEST (CEST +1)

Group A
15:00 – Sweden vs Portugal

Sweden can secure first place and carry two points into the main round with a win, while Portugal will look to shake up the group. Should Portugal claim victory, Sweden, Portugal, and Austria would all finish on four points, setting up a dramatic finale in Group A.

Sweden survived a spirited Austrian comeback in their last match. After building a seven-goal lead, Sweden struggled against Austria’s improved defence, but composure and smart execution in the closing moments secured an important win. Nikola Roganović provided steady leadership, while goalkeeper Viggo Hakansson delivered crucial saves.

Portugal, on the other hand, dominated Kuwait 38:23, rebounding after their narrow opening defeat to Austria. Joao Lourenço stood out once again and now has 20 goals in the tournament—currently the competition’s second-best scorer, underlining his importance for Portugal.

“We’re all aware of the difficulties we’ll face. The primary objective is to win—winning is mandatory, we depend on ourselves. And then there’s a lot of calculations to be made. But we’ll do everything we can to win against Sweden and secure a place in the next round,” said Portuguese coach Nuno Santos.

Both Sweden and Portugal have similar attacking records, with 73 and 72 goals scored respectively. Sweden has a slightly stronger defence, conceding 54 goals compared to Portugal’s 59. This will be their first meeting at the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship.

Group B
19:30 – Hungary vs Switzerland

Hungary and Switzerland each recorded comfortable victories over Kosovo and Morocco in their opening games, clinching main round qualification with a match to spare. Now, both sides will compete for first place in the group and two valuable points to carry forward.

Hungary controlled their match against Kosovo, winning 37:28 with a consistent tempo and rotating their squad to preserve energy for this decisive clash. Switzerland, meanwhile, faced determined resistance from Morocco but eventually gained control and won 32:25, with Niclas Mierzwa again playing a pivotal role.

Beyond group standings, Switzerland will be eager for revenge—Hungary defeated them 32:26 en route to bronze at the Men's 18 EHF EURO 2024, while Switzerland finished 11th after moving to the intermediate round.

Statistically, Hungary hold a slight advantage: they have the competition's fourth-best attack with 82 goals scored, and a slight defensive edge, conceding 47 goals to Switzerland’s 48.

Group C
19:30 – Serbia vs Spain

Both Serbia and Spain have secured main round places, but motivation remains high as the winner will top the group and carry two points forward.

Spain produced a remarkable comeback against Croatia, overturning a four-goal deficit to win 38:35 in a thriller. Marcos Fis was outstanding with ten goals, Quim Rocas delivered at decisive moments, and the current European champions confirmed their high ambitions.

Serbia had a sluggish start against Algeria but ultimately found their stride, securing a ten-goal win thanks in part to Ognjen Cenić’s nine goals. Serbia’s improved defence and rotation helped manage the tempo, just as in their key win over Croatia.

“We have one more game left and I am sure that we will not back down in front of the great Spaniards—we will fight to the last atom of strength. We have certainly booked our place in the main round, but we must remain calm and focused,” said Serbia’s Uroš Stanković.

Serbia have never beaten Spain at the Youth World Championship in four previous meetings, although this group managed to beat Spain 35:34 on penalties in the 5th-8th place match at the M18 EHF EURO 2024.

Group E
15:00 – Germany vs Slovenia

Slovenia can approach this game with less pressure, having already guaranteed a main round place, while for Germany, it is all or nothing—they need a win or must rely on the result of Faroe Islands vs Uruguay.

Germany’s 28:28 draw with the Faroese left them in a vulnerable position, despite holding an advantage on goal difference. Inconsistency and late turnovers proved costly, despite Linus Schmid’s standout early performance. Germany must regroup for this decisive match.

“The match against Slovenia is a chance to show that we've left youth handball behind and want to play men’s handball. That means being able to cope with pressure,” said Erik Wudtke to handball.net.

Slovenia recorded a convincing win over Uruguay after a strong opener against the Faroese. Mai Marguč stands out as the competition’s top scorer with 21 goals in two games, while goalkeeper Matevž Mlakar is among the best in the tournament. Their compact defence and quick counters have proved successful.

The last meeting between Germany and Slovenia at this level was in the 2013 World Championship quarter-finals, where Germany prevailed after overtime.

Group F
19:30 – Norway vs France

Although this is a youth match, Norway vs France is still expected to be one of the day’s highlights, as both teams have already secured main round qualification and now compete for group supremacy.

Norway set a new record with their 51:15 win over Mexico, their largest margin of victory at the Youth World Championship. Sander Strøm Tjernshaugen was outstanding, scoring 16 goals from 17 attempts and providing six assists, guiding the team to an 81% shooting efficiency.

France achieved a comfortable 38:24 win over Argentina. Both teams have yet to face their toughest challenge, and this match will provide important insight for both sides.

France and Spain share the top attacking record in the competition so far, with 87 goals each. Goalkeeping is a strength for both teams: France has a 50% save rate, while Norway is close behind at 45.4%.

Norway’s only previous win over France at this level was in 2013, when they triumphed 35:25—the only time France has lost to Norway in youth handball at an official event.

Group G
19:30 – Egypt vs Japan

With four points each and main round spots secured, Egypt and Japan will play for top place in the group.

Japan held off the Republic of Korea for a 34:32 win, thanks to key saves from Kodai Yasumizu and effective attacking from Kaisei Akiyoshi and Sora Furusawa. Their success rested on limiting turnovers and maintaining efficiency at both ends.

Host nation Egypt, encouraged by the home crowd, secured a 36:28 win over Bahrain. Aly Hassan and Adel Eletter led the scoring with six goals each, with Eletter now Egypt’s leading scorer. Abdelmalak Mabrouk set the tone with early saves, and Egypt’s bench continues to play a pivotal role.

This match will feature a clash of styles: Japan’s speed against Egypt’s physical defence and powerful attack. Egypt have scored 82 goals in two games—among the tournament’s top five attacks—while Japan have netted 66. Defensively, Egypt have conceded 55 goals, Japan 62.

Beyond the group lead, this is a showcase for non-European teams: Egypt and Japan are so far the only confirmed non-European sides in the main round. Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia could join them based on other results. Egypt have lost just once to Japan in three previous U19 World Championship encounters—a one-goal defeat in 2017.