The main round of the 2026 IHF Women's Junior World Championship is about to throw off on Monday, 29 June. Sixteen national teams, including 13 from Europe and three from Asia, have progressed from the group stage, and now they are divided into four groups of four teams. The two best sides from each group will reach the quarter-finals, and some of them may already be determined after the eight encounters scheduled for Monday.

Meanwhile, 16 other teams will play their first games in the President's Cup, and they are also divided into four groups, with each side hoping to finish as high as possible.

MAIN ROUND

Group I
16:15 CST — France v Austria
18:30 CST — Serbia v Sweden

Group II
16:15 CST — Germany v Republic of Korea
18:30 CST — Spain v Romania

Group III
16:15 CST — Denmark v Czech Republic
18:30 CST — Montenegro v People's Republic of China

Group IV
16:15 CST — Poland v Norway
18:30 CST — Japan v Hungary

PRESIDENT'S CUP

Group I
11:45 CST — Egypt v Paraguay
14:00 CST — Angola v India

Group II
11:45 CST — Brazil v Türkiye
14:00 CST — Argentina v Canada

Group III
11:45 CST — Algeria v United States of America
14:00 CST — Iceland v Guinea

Group IV
11:45 CST — Tunisia v Croatia
14:00 CST — Faroe Islands v Chinese Taipei

Denmark v Czech Republic – 16:15 CST

Denmark had no problems at the group stage, claiming three commanding wins in as many matches. After beating two African sides, Guinea (32:16) and Algeria (39:24), the Danish team took their biggest win against home side People's Republic of China, 42:25.

With 113 goals, Denmark boast the third most effective attack in the tournament, only behind Germany (122) and Montenegro (118). Their leader Kirstine Emilie Hoppe has had a special impact, topping the competition's scoring chart with a tally of 28 goals.

Similar to Hoppe, Czech Republic's Tereza Filípková was a joint top scorer of her team in each of the group matches, and she ranks sixth in the scorers' list with 22 goals. But while Denmark carried two points over to the main round, Czech Republic start the next competition stage with no points.

They opened the tournament with a big win over the United States of America, 44:21, and went on to beat Iceland 33:23, but failed to finish top of Group F, losing 28:32 to Montenegro.

It means the Czechs will desperately need a win against the Danes to stay in the fight for a quarter-final spot. But Denmark, who beat Czech Republic 26:20 at the W19 EHF EURO 2025, are determined to extend their winning run and secure an early quarter-final spot.

Poland v Norway – 16:15 CST

Three wins in three Group G matches meant that Poland managed to take two points with them to the main round. But while the Poles earned a big victory against Chinese Taipei (33:10), they were challenged much more in their two other games, defeating Tunisia 26:22 and Hungary 27:25.

With just 57 conceded goals, Poland boast the joint-best defence in the entire tournament alongside France. And while their attack ranks just 13th with 86 goals, Zuzanna Zimnicka takes second place in the scoring chart with 26 goals.

Norway's top scorer Ada Aalstad is much lower in that list, taking 17th place with a tally of 15 goals. Overall, the Scandinavian team have only the 18th most effective attack in the tournament with 78 goals.

They opened the tournament with a 27:21 win against Croatia before losing to Japan in their second encounter, 24:26. The last group match against debutants Faroe Islands was crucial for both rivals, and Norway had the upper hand - a 27:22 win secured their main round berth, albeit with zero points.

Serbia v Sweden – 18:30 CST

Serbia had a perfect run at the group stage, claiming three consecutive wins. After defeating Paraguay (40:15) and Angola (26:16), the Balkan side faced much tougher opposition in the match against Austria, but earned two points, winning 29:27.

Now Serbia start the main round with two points, and another victory may secure them an early quarter-final spot. Their next rivals are Sweden, whom they beat at the group stage of the W19 EHF EURO 2025 last year, 34:29.

At China 2026, the Swedish team lost their opening encounter to France, 22:24, but did better afterwards. In a key battle, they proved too strong for Egypt, winning 25:22, and then had no problems against India, booking a main round ticket following a 42:13 victory.

However, Sweden are entering the main round with no points, so they need to beat Serbia to retain their hopes of a quarter-final spot. Both rivals rely on solid defence - Sweden have conceded 59 goals and Serbia 58 - and both will be determined to win.

Japan v Hungary – 18:30 CST

Japan are one of the three Asian teams to reach the main round, and the only non-European team to top their group. They carried two points over to the next stage, giving them a strong position in the fight for quarter-final tickets.

The Japanese opened the tournament with a 32:22 victory against Faroe Islands, before another win - a more hard-fought one against Norway (26:24) - secured their early progression. Even a 23:26 defeat against Croatia in the last group match did not stop the Asian side from topping Group H.

In turn, Hungary finished as runners-up in Group G and failed to take any points into the next stage. Similar to Japan, the European team booked their main round ticket with one group match to go, after wins over Chinese Taipei (46:10) and Tunisia (32:24). However, a 25:27 defeat against Poland saw them finish second in the group.

Interestingly, Hungary boasted a more efficient attack in the group stage, scoring 103 goals compared to Japan's 81. They also did better defensively, conceding 61 goals, while Japan conceded 72. Now the Hungarians badly need points, and they will try to use their best qualities in order to win.