Reigning world champions Spain made it again to the semi-finals of the IHF Men's Youth World Championship, with an otherworldly comeback against hosts Egypt, 31:29, with a new record attendance in the competition of 22,150 spectators being set.

Germany are also in the semi-finals, with a buzzer-beater quarter-final win against Hungary, 32:31, setting up a semi-final against Denmark.

QUARTER-FINALS
Spain vs Egypt 31:29 (13:15)

It was not just the action on the court that echoed through Cairo Stadium – Hall 1 on that unforgettable quarter-final night; it was the sheer force of the crowd. For over 60 minutes, the noise inside the arena registered above 100 decibels on average every single second, a sound level more commonly associated with roaring rock concerts or jet engines at take-off.

But it was a crucial quarter-final at the 2025 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, where 22,150 spectators – a record for the competition – came in support of the hosts, in an unprecedent show of commitment, passion and desire to push them through to the semi-finals.

Egypt qualified in the knockout phase of the competition by the slightest of margins, edging through after a comeback against Denmark in the last match of the main round and this is what they also needed after a slow start here, which saw the hosts fail to score for four minutes and 47 seconds, enabling Spain to take a 6:3 lead.

But because this is Egypt and they never-say-die attitude, the African champions could never be counted out. And Spain found out themselves about this, in a seven-minutes and 37 seconds stint, where they failed to score a goal, Egypt scored six times and the African side opened their maiden three-goal lead, 10:7.

Rotating the players was key for Egypt’s Spanish coach, Fernando Barbeito, as 10 players took at least one shot, with left back Adel Eletter scoring the largest number of goals, four. But Spain’s issues were clear in attack, where Egypt’s goalkeeper, Moustafa Bayoumi, finished the first half with six saves and a 38% saving efficiency, while the European side’s attack had a 54% scoring efficiency.

It was towering right back Marcos Fis Ballester who managed to score five goals for Spain, but the European side was still in a precarious position, as Egypt really delivered their best overall performance in the competition so far, both in attack and especially in defence, where everything clicked.

With two Spanish coaches going head-to-head, multiple variations on defensive systems, such as 5-1 and 4-2 were used to throw the other team off scent, but with 12 minutes to go, Egypt still had a four-goal lead, 24:20, inherited from that run in the first half, with Spain in total disarray, conceding two open-goal shots, in their attempts to use the seven-on-six attack to erase the deficit.

It looked like game over for Spain, but a well-taken team time-out, the last for the European side, instilled new life into Egypt’s opponents. With a 5:1 run spurred by Quim Rocas and Fis Ballester, Spain crawled back into the match and with seven minutes to go, the score was tied, 25:25, and Egypt’s attack hit a wall, as Spain’s goalkeepers were at 34%, with David Failde Fuentes boasting an 11-save tally.

But not only Spain tied the score, they even did one better and went ahead by two, 28:26, using an 8:2 run, where Fis had four goals and Rocas three, to put even more pressure on Egypt, with the crowds delivering more instant pressure on Spain.

However, the European side did not crack and Fis scored another goal with 26 seconds left, his 12th of the match, to clinch the 31:29 win for Spain, which outscored their opponents 12 to 5 in the last 12 minutes of the match.

“Los Hispanos” qualified for the sixth time in history in the semi-finals, and will meet Sweden in the semi-finals.

Player of the Match: Marcos Fis Ballester (Spain)

Germany vs Hungary 32:31 (15:14)

Germany made the brighter start to the quarter-final, racing into a 3:1 lead in the opening minutes and forcing Hungary to play catch-up. Both sides showed defensive discipline early on, but Jan Grüner stood out for Germany with his attacking drive, helping his team maintain momentum during the first ten minutes.

Hungary knew they needed to raise their attacking efficiency — at just 44% compared to Germany’s 70%, the gap was telling. But while they created chances, seven turnovers in the first 20 minutes prevented them from closing in and mounting sustained pressure.

With goalkeeper Finn Knaack making several key saves, Germany held a four-goal cushion. However, the closing stages of the first half brought a shift. Switching to a 5–1 defence, Hungary began anticipating passes, forcing errors, and winning possession. A series of fast breaks and sharp transitions fuelled a 4:0 run that turned the score in their favour at 14:13, but Germany responded to reclaim a slender 15:14 lead at the interval.

The second half maintained the same intensity, with both teams battling for every ball. Máté Fazekas’ strike in the 40th minute made it 21:21, underlining the deadlock. Both coaches opted to change goalkeepers — Anel Durmić for Germany and László Várady-Szabó for Hungary — as defensive organisation on both ends left the scoreboard frozen for almost five minutes.

When the drought ended, the sides traded goals evenly until Germany found a breakthrough, capitalising on Hungarian turnovers to go two goals ahead entering the final ten minutes, with Tim Schröder proving clinical in attack. That narrow buffer remained until the 57th minute, when Hungary used their final time-out to plan one last push. The tactic worked, and they drew level at 31:31 in the final ten seconds.

Hungary’s deep defensive press pushed Germany wide, but from the left wing Grüner timed his run perfectly, cutting in behind the defence to score just before the buzzer, sparking huge celebrations.

The win sends Germany into their third IHF Men’s Youth World Championship semi-final, following appearances in 2013 and 2019, where they will meet Denmark. Hungary, meanwhile, move into the Placement Matches 5–8 for a clash against Iceland.

Player of the Match: Tim Schröder (Germany)