France vs Kazakhstan
In the end, it was France who prevailed 4–2 but the path to victory was far from simple. The French team began in dominant fashion, claiming three consecutive wins thanks to Matheo Akiana Mongo, Emma Melis and Peter Jean, who gave their side what looked like an unassailable lead. However, Kazakhstan proved once again that they are a nation of fighters. Korkem Orymbek and Daniil Krylov reignited their team’s hopes with two strong victories, narrowing the gap and putting the pressure back on France. Everything came down to the final contest and the French had a trump card in their corner: newly crowned junior world champion Celia Cancan. Calm and composed, she took full control of her bout against Saltanat Akhmetova, winning by ippon to secure the decisive fourth point and send France through to the semi-finals.
Japan vs IJF
Much like France’s tight encounter with Kazakhstan, Japan also faced an unexpectedly challenging match against the IJF team, a rarity for the usually dominant nation. Gai Hatakeyama, silver medallist in the +100 kg category the previous day, opened proceedings with a solid win to give Japan the early lead. Mio Shirakane, freshly crowned world champion just days earlier, extended the advantage to 2–0. However, Iaroslav Bunakov brought the IJF team back into contention with a decisive victory that narrowed the gap. Rin Maeda restored some breathing room for Japan but once again the IJF team responded through Aleksei Bulgakov, whose sharp performance kept their hopes alive. Ultimately, it was Hikaru Yamaguchi who sealed the deal for Japan, scoring the decisive point to make it 4–2 and secure the nation’s place in the semi-finals, not without a few moments of tension along the way.
Brazil vs Germany
Riding the momentum of their outstanding individual campaign, Brazil gave Germany little chance of advancing to the semi-finals, winning convincingly 4–0. The opening point came from Andrey Coelho, who defeated Mortaza Suha by a yuko, setting the tone for his team. Next, Bianca Reis, who narrowly missed the medals in the individual competition, produced a flawless performance to throw Helene Riegert for ippon, doubling Brazil’s advantage. Claiton Faria followed with another dominant win over Melvin Noack, further cementing Brazil’s control. Finally, Maria Eduarda Oliveira sealed the clean sweep, as her opponent Sara-Joy Bauer received three penalties, handing Brazil the decisive fourth point. With this commanding victory, Brazil advanced to the semi-finals, where they were set to face Japan in a mouthwatering clash between the two standout nations of the championships.
Uzbekistan vs Türkiye
The last quarter-final of the day determined who would face France in the semi-finals and it was Türkiye who claimed that honour with a convincing 4–1 victory over Uzbekistan. From the outset, Ibrahim Tataroglu set the tone for the Turkish team, using his trademark power and precision to secure the opening point. Elif Kilic followed suit quickly, doubling Türkiye’s advantage with another dominant performance. Inoyat Telmanov managed to bring Uzbekistan back into the match, narrowing the gap to 2–1, but the momentum stayed firmly with the Turkish judoka. Ecem Baysug delivered a strong third win for her team and Erman Gurgen closed the match in style, claiming the fourth all-important point. With this result Türkiye advanced to the semi-finals, setting up a much-anticipated clash with France, while Uzbekistan bowed out after a valiant effort.