As the main round of the 2025 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship gets underway, anticipation is building for a series of high-stakes encounters that will determine which teams move one step closer to the coveted title. The matches in Plock, Katowice, Kielce and Sosnowiec can be pivotal, with the President’s Cup also throwing off, when all 32 teams take on the court again on Monday.

Main round
Group I
11:45 Norway vs Hungary
14:00 Austria vs Slovenia

Group II
16:15 Sweden vs Croatia
18:30 Portugal vs Japan

Group III
16:15 Denmark vs Romania
18:30 Faroe Islands vs France

Group IV
18:45 Egypt vs Switzerland
21:00 Germany vs Spain 

President’s Cup
Group I
16:15 Argentina vs Uruguay
18:30 Poland vs Brazil

Group II
11:45 Republic of Korea vs Canada
14:00 Algeria vs United States of America

Group III
11:45 Morocco vs North Macedonia
14:00 Iceland vs Mexico

Group IV
11:15 Serbia vs Saudi Arabia
14:00 Bahrain vs Tunisia
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• In Group I of the main round, Austria start with two points, followed by Slovenia and Norway, with one point each, and Hungary, on zero points
• Group II sees Sweden and Portugal throw off with two points each, while Croatia and Japan have a mountain to climb, starting on zero points
• Denmark and the Faroe Islands are the leaders in Group III, with two points, while France and Romania need to bounce back after their losses against the group leaders, starting on zero points
• The toughest battle for qualification will be in Group IV, where Germany (two points) take on title favourites Spain (zero points), with Egypt (two points) meeting Switzerland (zero points) in the first match

GROUP IV
21:00 Germany vs Spain

Germany and Spain are set to face off in one of the most anticipated clashes of the main round at the 2025 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship. Both teams enter this matchup with high ambitions and plenty to prove as they chase a coveted quarter-final berth, but a loss for Spain would be devastating, as they have already lost the match against Egypt, 29:30, and start the main round with zero points.

Germany arrive with confidence after a flawless preliminary round, having won all three of their matches, including a commanding 39:26 victory over Tunisia to close out Group G. Their attack has been among the most prolific in the tournament so far, fourth best, with 112 goals scored, and a win, combined with an Egypt win against Switzerland, would see both teams through to the next phase.

Spain, meanwhile, come into the main round as one of the traditional powerhouses of junior handball, but suffered a setback in a dramatic 30:29 loss to Egypt at the end of the group stage. Their talented generation, winner of both the M18 and the M20 EHF EURO editions they played in, as well as the 2023 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, faces a must-win scenario.

With a well-distributed attack so far, Spain have three players scoring 16, 16 and 15 goals respectively, some of their most experienced players in left wing Ian Barrufet, line player Victor Romero Holguin and right back Djordje Cikusa. But with a loss here, Spain would be on track for their worst finish in the history of the competition, with their current worst record being the 10th place, where they finished three times.

18:45 Egypt vs Switzerland

Egypt and Switzerland are set for a compelling main round encounter at the 2025 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship, with both teams eager to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.

Egypt enter the match riding high after a dramatic 30:29 victory over Spain in the final game of the preliminary round. That result not only handed Spain their first defeat of the tournament but also allowed Egypt to carry two crucial points into the main round. Provided they win here, the African champions can make a huge step towards the quarter-finals, as they would have an advantage over Spain.

While Egypt might have scored 11 goals less than Switzerland (104 goals scored) in the preliminary round, they have conceded the seventh lowest number of goals so far, 75, a whopping 25 less than Switzerland, with the European side losing against Germany by 10 goals, 31:41. A win here would boost the Swiss side’s chances, but qualification to the quarter-finals remains a big ask, especially with a match against Spain next on Tuesday.

GROUP III
18:30 Faroe Islands vs France

The Faroe Islands are once again on the brink of making handball history as they prepare to face France in the main round of the 2025 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship. With a population of just over 54,000, the Faroe Islands are the smallest country participating in the tournament, yet they continue to defy expectations and inspire the global handball community with their fearless performances.

The Nordic side has scored 103 goals, nine less than France, despite facing only European opponents on their way in the preliminary round, winning against Romania and North Macedonia and drawing against Iceland.

The Faroese team, led by standout centre back Óli Mittún—already a familiar name to handball fans as a top scorer and All-Star centre back at the 2023 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, used the same fast-paced attacking tactics and are aiming for a quarter-finals berth, which they will seal, provided they win here and Denmark make it four out of four against Romania.

So far, Mittún has been the top goal scorer of the competition, with 35 goals, and the top assists provider, with 22 assists, being rendered unstoppable at times. But with a skilled France defence ahead, he will probably face the sternest test so far. These two teams also met at the M20 EHF EURO 2024, when France took a 34:31 win in the preliminary round, eliminating the Faroe Islands from contention.

GROUP I
14:00 Austria vs Slovenia

Austria and Slovenia are set to meet in a pivotal main round clash at the 2025 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship, with both teams eyeing a place in the quarter-finals. The stakes could hardly be higher: a win would put either side in a commanding position to advance, while a loss would leave the path to the knockout stage far more complicated, as Austria start with two points and Slovenia with a single one.

Austria enter the main round with momentum, having topped their preliminary group thanks to a a dramatic comeback win over Hungary, 22:21, as they have the top goalkeeper in the competition, Leon Bergmann, who saved 43 shots so far for a 43.3% saving efficiency.

Slovenia, meanwhile, have also impressed in the group phase, securing crucial points and demonstrating their trademark fast-paced, collective handball. Their draw against Norway set them back, but with a win here they would be on a good pace to secure their second quarter-finals berth in the last 12 years.