The first matches of the President’s Cup provided the first win for Morocco against an European side at the IHF Men’s Junior World Championship, 30:26, against North Macedonia, but also saw several sides move up to four points in the standings.

President's Cup
GROUP II
Republic of Korea vs Canada 42:29 (22:10)

The Republic of Korea secured their second consecutive victory at Poland 2025, once again against a North American opponent. After a 41:33 win over the United States, they went even bigger this time, scoring 42 goals to overpower Canada in a commanding performance.

Korea stormed into the match with full control, leaving Canada without a clear answer in the opening minutes. It took five minutes before Colton Kuypers finally broke the deadlock for the North Americans, but by then Korea had already raced to a 4:0 lead, which they quickly extended to 7:1.

That gap remained steady for much of the half, with Canada struggling to break through Korea's compact defence or stop their opponents' quick attack. Sehyeon Kang was the standout in the opening 30 minutes, leading the scoring with five goals, while Hohyun Lee added his share, helping Korea maintain the upper hand.

As the first half came to an end, Korea found another boost. In the closing ten minutes, they stretched the gap into double digits for the first time, eventually reaching 17:7 before closing the half with a dominant 22:10 advantage.

The second half brought no major shift in momentum. Colton Kuypers continued to carry the scoring load for Canada, this time joined by Antoine Desbiens. On a few occasions, Canada managed to reduce the deficit from 13 to nine, but each time Korea answered immediately.

Midway through the second half, Korea led 33:20, and out of 14 outfield players, 12 found the net. With the match firmly in control, Korea closed out the game calmly and confidently, sealing a strong 42:29 win.

They now sit on four points in Group II, putting them in an excellent position ahead of what could be a key matchup against Algeria on Tuesday. That match could decide who plays for positions 17 to 20, and who ends up in the fight for 21st to 24th place.

Canada, meanwhile, will compete in the lower bracket of the group, fighting in the upcoming games for the best possible final placement, with their next opponent from Group II being the USA.

Player of the Match: Colton Kuypers (Canada)

Algeria vs United States of America 26:20 (12:9)

Algeria had to work hard to keep the United States of America at bay and secure their second win at Poland 2025.

Algeria opened the match with a 3:0 run, while the United States waited until the eighth minute for their first goal, scored by Benjamin Edwards. It looked like the game might slip away early for the USA, especially with Algeria threatening to make a significant break.

However, despite a strong start and an excellent showing from goalkeeper Achiche Sid Ali, who had nine saves from 14 shots after just 15 minutes, Algeria couldn't build a more comfortable lead. By that point, they were only up 7:4.

The main issue was their attacking discipline. Algeria rushed many of their plays and struggled to maintain focus in front of goal, ending the half with just 63% shooting efficiency. Still, as has often been the case for them in this tournament, line player Adel Guemeida proved to be a leading force, providing key goals—the Player of the Match finished the game with seven goals.

Algeria went on another goal run in the opening stages of the second half, setting a 17:11 lead. However, the USA kept pouncing and did not let go easily, forcing Algeria to remain fully focused throughout.

While it wasn't their most dominant victory, Algeria still showed control. The American goalkeepers had a tough outing, making just one save in the first half and finishing the game with only five combined. On the other side, Algeria also introduced Salim Mezaza between the posts in the last ten minutes of the game, and the move paid off as he made five saves from seven attempts, helping them preserve the lead and win 26:20.

With this second victory at Poland 2025, Algeria now share the top of President's Cup Group II with Korea, and the two will go head-to-head on Tuesday in a direct duel for first place in the group. The United States, meanwhile, will face neighbours Canada in their final group match before placement matches begin in the President's Cup.

Player of the Match: Adel Guemeida (Algeria)

GROUP III
Morocco vs North Macedonia 30:26 (14:12)

Morocco registered a historic win at the IHF Men’s Junior World Championship, their maiden one against an European side in five appearances in the competition, 30:26, against North Macedonia, after arguably their best performance at Poland 2025.

The match began with both teams showing attacking intent, but it was Morocco who edged ahead by halftime, leading 14:12 after a balanced first period. Both sides matched each other in shooting efficiency—Morocco converting at 61% (30/49) and the European side at 60% (26/43)—but Morocco’s ability to create and finish from nine meters (10/20, 50%) proved decisive, especially against their opponents’ 38% (3/8) from the same range.

While both teams turned the ball over 15 times, Morocco never relinquished the lead after taking them, despite Radoslav Stojanovikj’s team tying the score with 16 minutes to go, 19:19.

Six goals from Youness Mansari and some fantastic saves from Player of the Match Akram Jbari, including four one-on-one shots in the last 10 minutes, decided the outcome, with Morocco enjoying a clear 30:26 win, as the African side even took a five-goal lead late in the match, scoring 11 goals in the closing stage of the match, to register their first-ever win against European opposition.

Player of the Match: Akram Jbari (Morocco)

Iceland vs Mexico 41:24 (16:8)

Mexico will still have to wait for their maiden win at the IHF Men’s Junior World Championship, after conceding their fourth loss in a row, XX:XX, against Iceland. However, this was arguably Mexico’s top performance so far at Poland 2025, as they limited the gap after 30 minutes to only eight goals, 8:16.

Definitely disappointed by failing to make the main round, Iceland had a better atacking tempo, finishing the attacks in only 24 seconds, as opposed to Mexico’s 32 seconds, but their attacking efficiency was not overwhelmingly impressive, with Iceland converting only 60% of their shots.

But with Mexico turning the ball over 14 times, the gap was still big, and only got bigger as the time progressed, with the European side boasting a 11-goal lead after 36 minutes, 22:11, as Iceland afforded to rest their top scorer in the competition, Elmar Erlingsson.

Yet Iceland were in no mood to stop and the second half saw them score almost one goal per minute, as Mexico slowed down and made more and more mistakes in attack. With a flurry of fast breaks, coming also from balls recovered from Mexico’s seven-on-six failed attacks, Iceland scored 25 goals in the second half, to clinch a 41:24 win.

Player of the Match: Hans Jörgen Ólafsson (Iceland)

GROUP IV
Serbia vs Saudi Arabia 35:30 (20:15)

Serbia secured a 35:30 victory over Saudi Arabia in their President’s Cup opener at the 2025 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship, showcasing clinical finishing and a strong team effort to maintain their momentum in the competition.

The Serbian attack was highly efficient, converting 66% of their shots (35/53) and making the most of their opportunities from the penalty line with a perfect 3/3 record. Djordje Rančić delivered a standout performance, netting an exceptional 11 goals from 11 attempts, while Mladenko Draško added 7 goals and Simo Šijan contributed 4 goals and 3 assists. Uros Mitrovic was a creative force, providing 6 assists alongside his 4 goals, helping Serbia maintain fluidity in attack.

Between the posts, Marko Draško made 14 saves at a 33% save rate, providing crucial stops when Saudi Arabia threatened to close the gap. Serbia’s defense forced 18 turnovers, matching their own tally, but they were able to capitalize more effectively on their opponents’ mistakes.

Saudi Arabia put up a spirited fight, particularly through Amjad Baydhi (seven goals), Sajjad Al Fardan (five goals), and Hassan Alfadel (four goals). The team was also clinical from the penalty line, matching Serbia’s 100% conversion rate. Salman Almuyini stood out in goal with 11 saves at a 35% save rate, helping to keep the Saudis within striking distance for much of the match.

With this win, Serbia strengthen their position in the President’s Cup, boasting a four-point tally, while the Saudi Arabia side are still on zero points.

Player of the Match: Djordje Rančić (Serbia)

Bahrain vs Tunisia 27:39 (14:23)

A fast-paced attack handed Tunisia their maiden win at Poland 2025, with the African side delivering an excellent performance against Bahrain, especially on the offensive side of the ball, where they registered an attack duration of under 20 seconds, constantly upsetting the Bahraini defence.

As the Asian side’s goalkeeper registered a saving efficiency lower than 20% and with their attack turning the ball over no less than 18 times, Tunisia jumped to an early lead, controlling the match from start to finish, as they had a 23:14 lead at the break.

Six Tunisian players scored at least three goals, with Kousay Ben Fraj, Najib Hadded and Khalil Barboura combining for 18 goals, as their side jumped to a clear 39:27 win, dealing Bahrain their third loss in the competition and complicated matters further, with both sides now on two points and Bahrain facing Serbia in the next match.

Player of the Match: Mohamed Seifeddine Ben Abdennebi (Tunisia)