The 2025 Men’s World Championship starts in less than two weeks and it’s time to introduce the groups here at Gohandball.
Here is Gohandballs guide for group E-H. We go through each group and the different nation’s stars and expectations.
Group E
Norway
Number of WCs (including 2025): 18
Result last WC: 6 (2023)
Greatest merits: 2 WC silver (2017, 2019), 1 EC bronze (2020)
Stars: Sander Sagosen (Kolstad), Magnus Abelvik Rød (Pick Szegd), Tobias Grøndahl (GOG)
Portugal
Number of WCs (including 2025): 6
Result last WC: 13 (2023)
Greatest merits: 6th place EC (2020)
Stars: Francisco Costa (Sporting), Martim Costa (Sporting), Luis Frade (FC Barcelona)
Brazil
Number of WCs (including 2025): 17
Result last WC: 17 (2023)
Greatest merits: 7th place Olympics (2012)
Stars: Thiagus Petrus (FC Barcelona), Haniel Langaro (Dinamo Bukarest), Bryan Monte (Montpellier)
USA
Number of WCs (including 2025): 8
Result last WC: 20 (2023)
Greatest merits: 2 silver medals Panamerican Championship (1983, 1985)
Stars: Andrew Donlin (California Eagles), Aboubakar Fofana (Valence Handball)
Group F
Sweden
Number of WCs (including 2025): 27
Result last WC: 4 (2024)
Greatest merits: 4 Olympic silver (1992, 1996, 2000, 2012) 4 WC gold (1954, 1958, 1990, 1999), 5 EC gold (1994, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2022)
Stars: Jim Gottfridsson (SG Flensburg-Handewitt), Andreas Palicka (PSG), Jonathan Carlsbogård (FC Barcelona)
Spain
Number of WCs (including 2025): 23
Result last WC: 3 (2023)
Greatest merits: 4 Olympic bronze (1996, 2000, 2008, 2020), 2 WC gold (2005, 2013), 2 EC gold (2018, 2020)
Stars: Gonzalo Perez de Vargas (FC Barcelona), Alex Dujshebaev (Kielce), Aleix Gomez (FC Barcelona)
Japan
Number of WCs (including 2025): 16
Result last WC: 18 (2021)
Greatest merits: 2 gold medals Asian Championship (1977, 1979)
Stars: Shuichi Yoshida (Nantes), Naoki Fujisaka (Nippon University)
Chile
Number of WCs (including 2025): 8
Result last WC: 26 (2023)
Greatest merits: 1 silver medal Panamerican Championship (2019)
Stars: Rodrigo Salinas (Bidasoa Irun), Erwin Feuchtmann (Ademar Leon)
Group G
Slovenia
Number of WCs (including 2025): 11
Result last WC: 10 (2023)
Greatest merits: 1 WC bronze (2017), 1 EC silver (2004)
Stars: Aleks Vlah (Aalborg Håndbold), Blaz Janc (FC Barcelona)
Iceland
Number of WCs (including 2025): 23
Result last WC: 12 (2023)
Greatest merits: 1 Olympic silver (2008) 1 EC bronze (2010)
Stars: Gisli Kristjansson (SC Magdeburg), Janus Smararson (Pick Szeged), Viktor Hallgrimsson (Wisla Plock)
Cuba
Number of WCs (including 2025): 8
Result last WC: 20 (2009)
Greatest merits: 8 gold medals Panamerican Championship (1980, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1994, 1996, 1998)
Stars: Ronaldo Almeida (Ivry)
Cape Verde
Number of WCs (including 2025): 3
Result last WC: 23 (2023)
Greatest merits: 1 silver medal Panamerican Championship (2022)
Stars: Edmilson Araujo (Istres), Ivo Santos (Bergischer)
Group H
Egypt
Number of WCs (including 2025): 18
Result last WC: 7 (2023)
Greatest merits: 9 gold medals African Championship (1991, 1992, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2016, 2020, 2022, 2024)
Stars: Yahia Omar (PSG), Ahmed Hesham (Montpellier), Yahia El-Deraa (Veszprem)
Croatia
Number of WCs (including 2025): 16
Result last WC: 9 (2023)
Greatest merits: 2 Olympic gold medals (1996, 2004), 1 WC gold medal (2003), 3 EC silver medals (2008, 2010, 2020)
Stars: Domagoj Duvnjak (THW Kiel), Luka Cindric (Veszprem), Ivan Martinovic (Rhein-Neckar Löwen)
Argentina
Number of WCs (including 2025): 15
Result last WC: 19 (2023)
Greatest merits: 7 gold medals Panamerican Championship (2000, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018)
Stars: Pablo Simonet (Puente Gentil), Leonel Maciel (Bidasoa)
Bahrain
Number of WCs (including 2025): 6
Result last WC: 16 (2023)
Greatest merits: 6 silver medals Asian Championship (2010, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2022)
Stars: Ali Merza (Al Ahli)