The fifth matchday of the 2018 IHF Men’s Beach Handball World Championship in Kazan, Russia will be jam-packed and full of intrigue, tension, happiness and sadness as the knockout stage begins with the quarter-finals being played in the morning session, followed by the all-important semi-finals in the afternoon and evening session.

The 9-16 placement round continues all day, with the losing quarter-finalists starting the 5-8 placement round in the afternoon.

For the match schedules and results click HERE. All games will be streamed live HERE. All times local.

2018 IHF Men’s Beach Handball World Championship
Matchday 5: Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, 9-16 Placement Round, 5-8 Placement Round

- Excitement and tensions lies ahead today as quarter-finals and semi-finals get underway in Kazan
- Repeat of 2016 main round clash with Brazil playing Spain
- Debutants Sweden take on Iran
- Title holders face Danes, who took the last qualification place
- Hosts Russia face 2016 fourth-placed team Hungary
- Winning quarter-finalists go into semi-final this afternoon, guaranteed a World Beach Games 2019 spot
- First time in senior world championship history there will be a quarter-final stage after competition expanded to 32 teams
- Qatar find themselves in 9-16 placement round, looking to avoid lowest-ever finish

Saturday 28 July: morning and early afternoon session

Quarter-Finals
At the early time of 9am, record world championship winners Brazil take on Spain in what could be a beach handball classic. Both teams lost their last main round group matches – Spain losing their unbeaten record to Croatia and Brazil in a shootout against Denmark – and will be looking to consign those results to history in this early-morning clash.

In the other early morning game debutants Sweden take on Iran with both teams already able to say it is the best-ever finish, after Iran previously finished 11th – like the other quarter-final clash at the same, both Iran (against Hungary) and Sweden (against Qatar) lost their last main round games.

Title holders Croatia have won all six matches in a row and look like strong favourites in their clash against Denmark, who won a shootout against Brazil to stand a chance of at least equalling, or better, their fourth-place back in 2014.

Hosts Russia know a win will equal their second best result (4th) as they look to put on a show for their passionate home fans.

The four semi-finalists today will have won already though – as the top five places in Kazan mean an automatic spot at the 2019 World Beach Games in San Diego next year.

Quarter-Finals
09:00 Iran vs Sweden
09:00 Spain vs Brazil
10:40 Croatia vs Denmark
11:30 Hungary vs Russia

9-16 Placement Round
Bronze medallists of the past two world champions Qatar awaited the result of the Oman vs Russia match yesterday after they defeated Sweden to give themselves all the opportunity to make the last eight, but it was not enough as an Oman win saw a mini-league in their main round group knock them out on the head-to-head points.

In what is sure to be an interesting clash, they face the New Zealand team making their world championship debut after receiving an IHF wild card. Like the women’s group, Vietnam play USA and there is a South American clash, while the unlucky Omanis – who also did not make the quarter-finals due to their main round group head-to-head, will look to push for a top 10 spot.

9-16 Placement Round
09:00 Qatar vs New Zealand
10:40 Vietnam vs USA
11:30 Uruguay vs Argentina
11:30 Oman vs Australia

Saturday 28 July: late afternoon and evening session
Semi-Finals, 5-8 Placement Round, 9-16 Placement Round

Schedule to be confirmed upon confirmation of morning and early afternoon session.