Egypt staged a late comeback to snatch a point against Czechia, 35:35, but their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals took a hit, while Serbia’s 29:28 win against Iceland enhanced their chances of progressing in the knockout phase of the competition.
Thanks to the draw between Egypt and Czechia, Denmark are through to the quarter-finals, where they join Germany, Hungary and Sweden.
Main Round
Group II
Iceland vs Serbia 28:29 (14:17)
A spirited and hard-fought first half unfolded between Iceland and Serbia, two sides with their eyes on the quarter-finals. Iceland entered with a slight advantage, carrying two points from the group stage, while Serbia started from zero, meaning the pressure for a win in this clash was heavier on them.
However, the Serbs didn’t allow that to slow them down. A strong opening saw them take a two-goal lead (5:3), shifting the pressure onto Iceland. The Icelanders had to push hard to catch up and, with the help of Serbian mistakes, they managed to level around the 20th minute when Jens Bragi Bergthórsson struck for 10:10.
Iceland’s 5-1 defence caused Serbia some problems, but once the Serbs adapted — switching to a 6-on-6 attack and trying to stretch the defence — they found easier routes to goal. A couple of saves from David Tot Meljkuti gave them the momentum to reclaim a +3 advantage before the break.
The battle continued into the second half, with Iceland constantly pressing and refusing to let Serbia settle. Every time the Serbs tried to stretch their lead to four, Iceland cut it back to two — exactly the kind of back-and-forth expected in a game of this importance. But sparks really began to fly entering the final ten minutes.
The flawless Stefán Magni Hjartarson, who had yet to miss all game, struck his sixth of the day to bring Iceland within one (25:26). From then on, it was a pure goal-for-goal battle, mixed with moments of brilliance and costly errors on both sides. Goalkeeper Jens Sigurðarson gave Iceland one last push to try to snatch a draw, but a late turnover ended their hopes and sent Serbia into celebrations.
With this win, Main Round Group II remains wide open. Spain sit in the best position, but both Iceland and Serbia are still in contention for the quarter-finals. Serbia will face Saudi Arabia in the final round, while Iceland will take on Spain.
Player of the Match: Andrija Stankov (Serbia)
Main Round
Group IV
Egypt vs Czechia 35:35 (17:20)
Czechia’s only chance to stay alive in the competition was to win against Egypt, while the hosts’ win saw them joining Denmark for the quarter-finals, before Egypt and the Scandinavian side would meet on Tuesday to conclude the main round at the 2025 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship.
Both sides had a see-saw form throughout the competition, but it was Czechia which lost a match so far, 29:34, against Denmark, while Egypt managed to overcome a slow start against Japan to bounce back and secure a big win on Saturday, in the preliminary round’s conclusion.
But just as in the match against Japan, Egypt have been lagging behind, especially in defence, in the first half. As their coach, Fernando Barbeito, mentioned to ihf.info, the African champions did not manage to get the necessary stops, and once again conceded 20 goals in the first 30 minutes, too much for a side hoping for a win at this level.
Once again, the goalkeeping department did not manage to stop many shots, with Youssef Abdelhady and Omar Elzamyan boasting a 13% saving efficiency after 40 minutes in the match, conceding easy goals against Czechia. In fact, after the European side took control of the match, after the 11th minute, they went on to boost a majestic 85% attacking efficiency in the first half, boasting a three-goal lead at the break, 20:17.
While Egypt did score in 73% of their attacks and backs Hamza Abdalla and Ahmed Mohammed combined for 12 goals until the 40th minute, Egypt still had a mountain to climb, down four goals, 24:28, despite changing their players and using a 5-1 defensive system in the second half, as opposed to the traditional 6-0 which they deployed in the first half.
Soon, a 3:0 run spurred by Abdalla cut the gap to a single goal, 27:28, with 14 minutes to go, prompting a team time-out from Czechia. Abdalla continued his show and even managed to briefly put Egypt ahead, 30:29, but Czechia then replied with a storming 3:0 unanswered run to take the lead in their hands again, 32:30, with seven minutes to go.
The stakes were huge for Egypt, as a loss would seriously hamper their chances of progression, but with Dominik Skopár in absolutely show-stopping form, scoring 10 goals, Czechia were still three goals ahead, 34:31, with only three minutes and 30 seconds to go on the clock.
Egypt did manage to wake up and outscore their opponents 4:1 in the end of the match, but Czechia still had 59 seconds in attack, yet failed to score twice, ultimately the match ending in a 35:35 draw.
The draw means that Egypt are still in precarious territory, having three points and needing to take at least one against Denmark in the last matchday of the main round, while Czechia face Japan, in a must-win match, in order to progress to the quarter-finals.
Player of the Match: Dominik Skopár (Czechia)
President’s Cup
Group III
Argentina vs Uruguay 31:20 (19:9)
Just like at the 2024 South and Central American Men’s Youth Handball Championship last November, Argentina once again proved too strong for Uruguay. Back then, they claimed a 33:17 win in the group stage, and now they repeated that dominance in the President’s Cup to join the Faroe Islands on four points ahead of their Tuesday clash.
Argentina had a blistering start, racing to a 6:1 lead and signalling this game would be a one-way street. Not even two direct red cards disturbed the rhythm — first Argentina’s Francisco Colombo was sent off, and only a few minutes later Uruguay’s Francisco Castro Lapetina followed.
With only two Uruguayan players managing to score more than twice in the first 30 minutes, keeping up was impossible. On the other side, Argentina kept punishing every mistake and showed far more scoring depth, comfortably taking a +10 lead into the break.
The pattern remained the same after the restart, with Argentina keeping Uruguay at arm’s length. Simón Viera lifted his performance between the posts, reaching a 42% save efficiency by the 50th minute and rightfully earning the Player of the Match award. While Ignacio López Bentancor was the only Uruguayan to net five, Nicolás La Delfa led the Argentine charge with eight goals.
On Tuesday, the Faroe Islands and Argentina will go head-to-head for first place and the 17th–20th placement match, while Uruguay will look for their first win of the competition against Mexico.
Player of the Match: Simón Viera (Argentina)
President’s Cup – Group IV
Tunisia vs Republic of Korea 41:34 (20:16)
Following their group-stage win over the United States of America, Tunisia claimed a second successive victory to keep alive their hopes of topping Group IV. On Tuesday, they face Bahrain in a direct duel for a place in the Placement Matches 17–20. The Republic of Korea will meet the USA, with both teams still seeking their first points of the tournament.
Korea held a narrow edge in the early stages, but Tunisia repeatedly drew level before taking their first lead in the 16th minute at 11:10. Right back Iyed Chattali, who put Tunisia ahead, impressed with five first-half goals and closed the period by netting the final strike for a 20:16 advantage.
After the break, Mohamed Ben Fredj and Mustafa Jmour took charge offensively, while goalkeeper Mohamed Chabchoub produced several key saves to help Tunisia pull away. By the 48th minute, the Africans led 33:25, although a 3:0 Korean run briefly reduced the deficit.
Tunisia rotated their lineup but maintained tempo to the end, reaching the 40-goal mark in the 59th minute and sealing a seven-goal victory. Twelve Tunisian players found the scoresheet, with Jmour leading on nine goals. Chabchoub added significant impact between the posts, recording 16 saves.
Player of the Match: Mohamed Chabchoub (Tunisia)
