Three continents are represented in Group G of the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, with European sdes Slovenia and Iceland being the favourites ahead of African representants Cape Verde and Cuba, which are making a return and representing the North American and Caribbean Handball Confederation for the first time since 2009.

Slovenia and Iceland have been perennial dark horses over the last years, with teams brimming with potential, which sometimes create the anticipated surprises and put the pressure on the favourites.

Slovenia’s best result at the IHF Men’s World Championship was the bronze medal in 2017, when a star-studded side secured the only place on the podium for the team which will make their 11th appearance in the world handball flagship competition at Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025.

Since then, Slovenia failed to qualify for Denmark/Germany 2019 and finished ninth at Egypt 2021 and 10th at Poland/Sweden 2023, aiming to make the main round here and progress even further, with an ambition fueled by the fourth place sealed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Since that performance, several experienced players have retired from the national team, such as backs Jure Dolenec and Dean Bombac, mainstays in the previous incarnations of Slovenia. Nevertheless, the talent is still there, with Barcelona stars Blaz Janc and Domen Makuc taking the baton.

Over the last 25 years, Slovenia and Iceland have met nine times, with Slovenia taking six wins, with usually very balanced matches between the two sides, with four of them being decided by a single goal – including all three at the IHF Men’s World Championship – one decided by two goals and another decided by three goals.

Slovenia sealed two wins against Iceland at the IHF Men’s World Championship, 34:33 in the preliminary round at Tunisia 2005 and 26:25 in the same phase of the competition at France 2017, while Iceland took a 32:31 win at Germany 2007, in the main round.

Iceland have always produced quality players, with hugely talented stars in the team over the past decade, but they failed to make the top-10 at the IHF Men’s World Championship every time since finishing sixth at Sweden 2011.

Having won only 10 of their last 26 matches at the IHF Men’s World Championship, Iceland finished 20th at Egypt 2021 and 12th at Poland/Sweden 2023, struggling to get the rhythm going in their squad. A coaching change, which saw Snorri Guðjónsson taking over in 2023, brought Iceland on the 10th spot at the EHF EURO 2024, but the Nordic side want even more here.

With stars as Gísli Kristjánsson and Viktor Hallgrímsson in the team, Iceland are dreaming high, with a balanced squad, bringing plenty of experience to the table too, from goalkeeper Björgvin Páll Gústavsson, centre back Aron Pálmarsson and left wing Bjarki Már Elísson.

They have a positive balance against Cape Verde, with a 40:30 win in the main round of the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship and a 27:23 win over Cuba in 1990, but will be missing a key star in their squad, as right back Ómar Ingi Magnússon is a scratch in the final squad, due to an injury which will keep him out of the court for the foreseeable future.

While Slovenia and Iceland look set to battle for the first two places, the final spot for a place in the main round is up for grabs, as Cape Verde and Cuba are set to battle it out for making it to the next phase and secure a place between the top 24 nations in men’s handball.

Cape Verde will be at the IHF Men’s World Championship for the third time in a row, finishing last in 2021, due to retiring after a slew of positive Covid-19 cases, and 23rd at Poland/Sweden 2023, when they made the main round.

They finished fourth at the 2024 CAHB African Men's Handball Championship, where they lost the semi-final against Algeria, 26:32, and the bronze medal match against Tunisia, 28:35, and will be hoping to rely on their experience to spur a surprise or two, having never won against any European side.

This will also be their first match in history against Cuba, a team which will be making their eighth appearance at the IHF Men’s World Championship, their first once since 2009 and their second one since 1999, when they ended up on the eighth place, currently the best result.

The reigning champions at the IHF Men’s Emerging Nations Championship, where they won the title in the spring of 2023, Cuba qualified for the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship after securing the gold medal for the second time in history at the Men's North American and the Caribbean Championship.

There, Cuba swept their opponents, including a clear win in the final against Mexico, 36:21, underlining their potential, with a talented pool of young players, some of which are also playing in Europe.

Cuba have also won the only match played against Slovenia in history, 34:26, at the 1995 IHF Men’s World Championship, when they finished 13th, being eliminated in a fiery quarter-final by Switzerland, 26:27.