Only three teams in history have completed the senior-junior-youth treble at the IHF Men’s World Championship. France were first, in 2015, securing both the Junior and Youth world titles. 

Denmark followed up in 2019, when they secured the gold medal in the senior World Championship at home. And then Spain completed it in 2023, lifting the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship trophy in Croatia.

Now, a fourth team can join this prestigious club: Germany. Having already won the senior title twice and the junior title twice, the European side is fighting for the youth one too, making the final for the second time in history, after losing the one in 2019 against Egypt, 28:32.

Germany’s first important try for a gold medal at the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship came in 2013, when a generation which had Paul Drux or Jannik Kohlbacher, lost the semi-final against Croatia, 26:29, eventually sealing the bronze medal with a 29:23 win over Spain.

Germany then finished 17th at Russia 2015 and ninth at Georgia 2017, before finally getting back on the right track to take the silver in 2019 and secure the fifth place at Croatia 2023.

And now, they are in with a shot for the title at Egypt 2025, with a group of players which have shown grit, passion and determination, riding over obstacles to secure a medal with a 32:30 win over Denmark in the semi-final played in Cairo.

On paper, Germany look like the perfect underdogs: they only have the 18th best attack in a competition which had an average of 63,9 goals per match, scoring 214 goals, 47 less than Spain, which top the charts.

They also drew one of the matches in the preliminary round, 28:28, against the Faroe Islands, looking increasingly unlikely to make it in the medal fight. But somehow, Germany found some new fuel in their tank and went on a five-match winning streak to reach the showdown against Spain.

 

 

 

 

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It was the ultimate team performance for Germany, which have been priding on their defence, where they conceded 180 goals, an average of 25,7 per match, the fourth lowest number in the competition, but nevertheless a top performance, considering the opponents they faced, as the top team in the main round in terms of goals conceded.

And in attack, their top scorer has been Jan Grüner, with 35 goals, currently sitting on the 35th place in the top goal scorer standings, 32 goals off from the top goal scorer, Aljuš Anžič.

That reinforces the idea that Germany is a well-rounded team, with players ready to jump at the occasion to help and hot rely on a single player to bail them out.

"Everyone on the team is willing to invest more than they expect to get out of it. That's the definition of a team. We're a great community, including with the team around the team. The reward is the players' development. Now the icing on the cake is missing. We have a chance to become world champions on Sunday," said Germany’s coach, Eric Wudtke, for handball.net.

Wudtke has been in position for some time and he was also the one leading the final of the 2019 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, when Germany conceded a 28:32 loss against Egypt. Now, in Egypt, Wudtke and his side are hoping to redeem themselves and secure the coveted title.

One of the most important factors in the match will be the goalkeeping department and Germany look to have a gem on their hands, Finn Knaack, who has arguably been the top performer in the competition.

He currently ranks second throughout the whole competition in terms of saving percentage, 36.8%, only behind Bahrain’s Mohamed Abdulhusan. But Knaack has made 63 saves, 42 more than Abdulhusan, earning him the nickname of “mini-Wolff”, a nod to Germany’s superstar goalkeeper, Andreas Wolff.

"Spain is a good team that plays a different defensive system, is very anticipatory and willing to run. It will be a big cognitive challenge for us. But the adrenaline will do a lot for the players, and the form of the day will decide. We are really looking forward to the match," added Wudtke.

Whether Germany will thrive on their underdog status and win the competition, it is still to be seen. But they have a good group of players on their hands, and ready to make the historic treble.