France U20 W vs Montenegro U20 W

Montenegro's Elena Mitrović opened the scoring in the second minute with a 7-metre penalty, but that proved to be her side's only lead of the match. France responded with a 3–0 unanswered run, and by the 10th minute they led 6–3. The French defence — the tournament's stingiest, having conceded just 99 goals in five matches before the quarter-final — locked down Montenegro's attack, while fast-break transitions kept the scoreboard ticking.

Midway through the first half, France led 10–5. Montenegro coach Igor Marković called a timeout and switched to a 7-on-6 attacking formation, pulling goalkeeper Teodora Roncević for an extra outfield player. The tactic failed to shift momentum. Ivana Savić stood out for Montenegro with six goals from eight shots (75%), while Roncević managed only two saves in the opening 30 minutes, and France carried a comfortable 20–13 lead into the break.

The second half followed a similar script. France extended the margin to nine goals by the 45th minute (27–18), and coach Eric Baradat began rotating his squad. Eleven French players registered at least one goal. Montenegro's 21 turnovers — a product of French defensive pressure — proved decisive, and the Balkan side never got closer than seven goals after the interval.

Montenegro's decision to push for a 7-on-6 system midway through the first half, while trailing 10–5, backfired. France's compact defence absorbed the extra attacker, forced technical faults, and generated fast-break opportunities. Abdou's fast-break goals stretched the lead, effectively ending the contest before half-time. According to the IHF Full-Time Report, France converted 4 of 4 fast-break attempts, while Montenegro managed zero fast-break goals.

Dawiya Abdou (France) — Player of the Match A perfect shooting night: 8 goals from 8 attempts (100%), including 2 from fast breaks, 2 from 7-metre penalties, 2 from breakthrough plays, and 1 from 9 metres. The right back also contributed 1 assist and 1 earned 7-metre penalty in 44 minutes of court time.

Blandine Gros (France) Six goals from 7 shots (86%), all from the right wing. Gros was a constant outlet in France's attacking transitions and played 30 minutes as a starter.

Romane Gindro (France) The goalkeeper made 9 saves from 26 shots faced (35% save rate), including 4 from 10 fast-break attempts. Her partnership with Leane Gonzalez (4 saves from 10 shots) combined for 13 saves overall.

Ivana Savić (Montenegro) Six goals from 8 shots (75%) — tied for her team's top scorer. The right back was Montenegro's most efficient shooter but was isolated against France's defensive system.

Elena Mitrović (Montenegro) Montenegro's joint top scorer with 6 goals from 9 shots (67%), including 2 earned 7-metre penalties. The centre back led her team's scoring alongside Savić but managed only 1 goal in the second half.

France's 65% shot efficiency (33/51) against Montenegro's 53% (23/43) tells only part of the story. The real gap was in goalkeeping: France's duo saved 13 of 36 shots (36%), while Montenegro's Teodora Roncević and Vanja Zivković combined for just 10 saves from 38 attempts (26%). Zivković's 5 saves from 6 shots in a late cameo (83%) was a bright spot, but Roncević's 5 saves from 32 shots (16%) in 38 minutes proved costly.

France's defensive pressure forced 21 Montenegro turnovers — 21 technical faults against France's 19. France's wing shooting was lethal at 88% (7/8), while Montenegro managed just 50% from the wings (2/4). From the 6-metre line, France converted 8 of 13 (62%) to Montenegro's 3 of 6 (50%). Montenegro's 7-on-6 attacks (29 attempts, 45% efficiency) and 6-on-6 with goalkeeper-out (12 attempts, 25% efficiency) failed to generate enough returns to bridge the gap.

France advance to the semi-finals of the 25th IHF Women's Junior World Championship, maintaining their 100% record — the only team alongside Germany to do so after the quarter-finals. They await the winner of Germany vs Norway, played later on 2 July. A semi-final win would put them one step closer to defending the title they won in North Macedonia in 2024.

Montenegro drop into the Placement Matches 5–8, their first loss at China 2026 after four wins and a draw against Denmark in the main round. The quarter-final exit ends their best tournament run since 2010, when they also reached the top eight.

A clinical, professional performance from the defending champions. France's defence — the tournament's best — neutralised Montenegro's third-ranked attack, and the 10-goal margin accurately reflected the gap between the sides. Montenegro's 7-on-6 gamble was a sign of desperation, not innovation, and France punished it ruthlessly. Baradat's side now look like the team to beat.

Match details: 25th IHF Women's Junior World Championship 2026 | Quarter-Final, Match No. 83 | 2 July 2026, 16:00 CST (08:00 GMT) | Jinzhong City Gymnasium, Jinzhong, China | Attendance: 2,500 | Referees: Nichlas Nygaard, Jonas Primdahl (DEN)

Scorers — France: Dawiya Abdou 8, Blandine Gros 6, Elea Ferdilus 4, Zeina Injai 3, Prunelle Kingue 2, Claire Koestner 2, Melissa Chantelly 2, Jade Barbarin 2, Lyson Samai 2, Liyah Naal 1, Lalie Lambet 1.

Scorers — Montenegro: Ivana Savić 6, Elena Mitrović 6, Andela Guberinić 2, Sanja Andrijasević 2, Mia Grujic 2, Martina Knežević 2, Andelina Orbović 1, Nina Ramusović 1, Maja Ceklic 1.