The main round of the 2026 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship throws off on Monday, 3 August. Sixteen national teams — 12 from Europe, three from Asia and one from Africa — have progressed from the group stage and are now divided into four groups of four teams each. The top two sides from every group will reach the quarter-finals, and some of those spots could already be decided after Monday’s eight matches.

At the same time, 16 other teams will begin their President’s Cup campaign. They, too, are split into four groups, with several nations still chasing their first points of the tournament.

MAIN ROUND
Group I
11:45 EEST — Egypt v Republic of Korea
14:00 EEST — Denmark v France

Group II
16:15 EEST — Spain v Netherlands
18:30 EEST — Montenegro v Germany

Group III
16:15 EEST — People's Republic of China v Sweden
18:30 EEST — Hungary v Romania

Group IV
11:45 EEST — Slovakia v Slovenia
14:00 EEST — Switzerland v Japan

PRESIDENT'S CUP
Group I
16:16 EEST — Croatia v Mexico
18:30 EEST — Czechia v Republic of Fiji

Group II
16:15 EEST — Guinea v Argentina
18:30 EEST — Portugal v Uzbekistan

Group III
11:45 EEST — Tunisia v Uruguay
14:00 EEST — Kazakhstan v Canada

Group IV
11:45 EEST — Brazil v Algeria
14:00 EEST — Serbia v Angola

Main round
Group I
Egypt v Republic of Korea — 11:45 EEST

This is the only match in the entire main round not featuring a European team, as the 2025 African Women’s Youth Handball Championship winners Egypt face the 2022 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship winners, the Republic of Korea.

Egypt also recorded their best-ever result at this level at North Macedonia 2022, when they finished seventh. This time, the African side arrive with fresh momentum after surprisingly winning Group A with a perfect record, beating Croatia, France and the Republic of Fiji.

Their 83:17 victory over Fiji entered the record books as the biggest winning margin in an IHF Women’s Youth World Championship match, while 83 goals is also the highest tally ever scored by one team in a single game at this level. Thanks to that result, Egypt now boast the most efficient attack in the group stage, with 139 goals.

The Republic of Korea scored 96 goals on their way to second place in Group B. They pushed Denmark hard in their opening match but lost 32:33, then edged Czechia 24:23 before sealing their main round berth with a commanding 40:17 win over debutants Mexico.

Egypt will enter the main round with two points, while Korea have none, meaning the Asians must stop the African side’s winning streak if they want to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.

Denmark v France — 14:00 EEST

Despite three wins from three matches, Denmark’s group stage was far from comfortable. They edged the Republic of Korea 33:32 and Czechia 23:21, while their only more convincing result came against Mexico, whom they beat 40:17.

That was enough to secure top spot in Group B and two carried-over points, giving the Nordic side a strong position ahead of the main round. Still, nothing is guaranteed yet, especially with France waiting in an all-European clash on Monday.

France opened the tournament with a stunning 55:2 win over Fiji, but a 29:24 defeat to Egypt put them under pressure. In a do-or-die encounter with Croatia, they also struggled early, trailing 11:14 at the break before turning things around after halftime to claim a hard-fought 29:27 victory.

With just 58 goals conceded, France share the tournament’s most efficient defence with Spain. They have also scored more goals than Denmark — 108 to 103 — although more than half of France’s total came against Fiji. That means the French must be sharp at both ends of the court if they are to beat Denmark and stay in contention for a quarter-final place.

Switzerland v Japan — 14:00 EEST

Switzerland, playing their third IHF Women’s Youth World Championship, achieved their best finish at China 2024, where they placed 14th. This time, however, the European side appear capable of pushing even higher.

They won all three of their Group H matches against Slovenia, Algeria and Serbia to reach the main round with two points. Backed by a solid defence that conceded only 63 goals, they also impressed in attack, with 16-year-old left wing Lauryn Mierzwa leading the competition’s scoring chart on 28 goals.

Japan’s Rio Hamaguchi sits second in that list with 26, so Monday’s meeting promises an intriguing duel between two of the tournament’s most dangerous scorers. Unlike Switzerland, Japan have already suffered a defeat at Romania 2026, losing narrowly 32:30 to Slovakia after wins over Angola and Brazil.

At China 2024, Japan reached the quarter-finals and finished eighth, but repeating that feat will not be easy this time around. They begin the main round without any carried-over points, yet a win on Monday would keep their hopes of another top-eight finish alive.

People’s Republic of China v Sweden — 16:15 EEST

Like Switzerland, the People’s Republic of China are chasing their best-ever result at the IHF Women’s Youth World Championship. Two years ago, on home soil, they finished 15th, and now they have a strong chance to improve on that placing after entering the main round with two points.

In Group F, the 2025 Asian Women’s Youth Handball Championship winners produced convincing wins over Kazakhstan (43:17) and Uruguay (34:22) before stunning hosts Romania 31:24. Shuoyan Zhang stood out across those matches and currently sits fifth in the competition’s scoring chart with 22 goals.

China will now target a quarter-final place, but Sweden will not make it easy. The Scandinavians enter the main round without points and need a win on Monday to keep their own quarter-final hopes alive.

In Group E, Sweden beat Canada and Tunisia convincingly before falling 35:29 to Hungary in their final group match. Their top scorer, Alma Karlsson, has 13 goals so far and is 41st in the tournament scoring chart, but the Nordic side will hope that a collective performance can carry them to victory at the start of the main round.