Only four teams, three from Europe and one African side, remain in contention for the title at the 2026 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship in Romania. The semi-finals will take placeon Friday, 7 August, with Egypt facing Spain and Denmark meeting Montenegro.

The four teams that lost in the quarter-finals will take part in the Placement Matches 5–8. The other 24 teams will play their final matches of the tournament to determine their final rankings. In particular, Croatia and Portugal will battle not only for 17th place, but also for the President’s Cup.

Semi-finals

16:15 EEST — Egypt v Spain
18:45 EEST — Denmark v Montenegro

Placement Matches 5–8
16:15 EEST — People’s Republic of China v Switzerland
18:30 EEST — Hungary v Slovakia

Placement Match 9/10
14:00 EEST — France v Japan

Placement Match 11/12
14:00 EEST — Romania v Netherlands

Placement Match 13/14
11:45 EEST — Republic of Korea v Germany

Placement Match 15/16
11:45 EEST — Sweden v Slovenia

Placement Match 17/18 (President's Cup final)
18:30 EEST — Croatia v Portugal

Placement Match 19/20
16:15 EEST — Tunisia v Brazil

Placement Match 21/22
14:00 EEST — Czechia v Serbia

Placement Match 23/24
11:45 EEST — Kazakhstan v Argentina

Placement Match 25/26
18:30 EEST — Canada v Guinea

Placement Match 27/28
16:15 EEST — Mexico v Angola

Placement Match 29/30
14:00 EEST — Uruguay v Uzbekistan

Placement Match 31/32
11:45 EEST — Fiji v Algeria

Egypt v Spain — 16:15 EEST

No team at Romania 2026 has been able to upset Egypt so far, and six consecutive victories have helped the African side reach the semi-finals. By achieving that feat, Egypt have secured their best-ever finish at the IHF Women’s Youth World Championship, improving on their seventh-place finish at North Macedonia 2022.

In the quarter-finals, Egypt faced the People’s Republic of China. In a clash between two of the tournament’s surprise packages, the Africans secured a hard-fought 30:29 victory to become the only non-European side in the semi-finals. Line player Zeina Kotb stood out with eight goals, while goalkeeper Jaydaa Salama made 11 saves.

Apart from Egypt, only reigning champions Spain have maintained a perfect record at the tournament, meaning the two undefeated teams will now face each other. In the quarter-finals, the European side also faced tough opposition but ultimately prevailed against Switzerland, 27:25.

With 12 minutes remaining, Switzerland appeared to be on course for victory as they led 22:19. However, the title-holders showed great resolve in the closing stages and mounted a comeback to secure a top-four finish at the tournament for the second consecutive edition.

While goalkeeper Rebeca Secades made 14 saves, none of her teammates scored more than four goals in that match. Lucia Calleja, Spain’s leading scorer at Romania 2026, currently ranks 42nd in the tournament’s scoring charts with 23 goals.

Three Egyptian players — Jowaireya Abdallah, Sondos Abouelazaiem and Malak Aboyoussef — have the same tally, ranking between 43rd and 45th. Their team also boast the second-best attack in the tournament, with 220 goals at an average of 36.67 per match, giving them a strong chance of extending their winning streak on Friday.

Denmark v Montenegro — 18:45 EEST

Across the nine previous editions of the IHF Women’s Youth World Championship, Denmark have reached the podium seven times, making them the most consistent team in the history of the competition. They won the title in 2006 and 2012, while they finished as runners-up in 2016, 2022 and 2024.

At Romania 2026, their medal credentials were questioned at times, as Denmark struggled in several matches despite ultimately winning most of them. However, they demonstrated their quality in the quarter-finals against Hungary, recording the biggest victory at this stage with a 24:20 win.

As in several previous matches, goalkeeper Thilde Ladegaard Skov posted a 43% save efficiency in that game, making a significant contribution to her team’s success. Overall, Denmark boast the joint-second-best defence in the competition alongside France, having conceded 124 goals in six matches — an average of 20.67 per game.

Montenegro rank 23rd in that category, having conceded 168 goals. In their quarter-final against Slovakia, their defence was not perfect, but that did not stop the Balkan side from securing a narrow 33:32 victory. Andrea Dragnić, their leading scorer in the competition, scored four goals and provided seven assists, while right wing Andrea Jovanović contributed seven goals to the win.

Montenegro have reached the semi-finals for only the second time in history. Having finished fourth at North Macedonia 2014, the Balkan side are now seeking their first-ever podium finish at this level — and they must beat Denmark to secure a medal.