Cuba won the junior (U20) title at the Men’s IHF Trophy – North America and the Caribbean, beating Mexico 38:30 in the final in Quebec City. The competition was played from 28 October to 1 November at the PEPS de l’Université Laval. 

As the top two teams, Cuba and Mexico qualified for the 2027 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship. Cuba also earned a place in the Men’s IHF Trophy – Intercontinental Phase.
Seven teams took part in this competition. They were split into two groups for the round robin: Group A saw Mexico, Guadeloupe and Greenland battle for the top two qualifying places, while Group B had Cuba, the United States of America, hosts Canada and Puerto Rico. The top two in each group went through to the semi-finals.

Mexico opened their account with a 32:27 win against Greenland. They led 16:13 at the break, and Osvaldo Pascual Maya Pedraza scored 10 goals. Guadeloupe beat Greenland 26:22 the next day, after leading 12:9 at half-time, with Steeven Marcelin scoring eight.

The decider for first place on the last day of the preliminary round was one-sided. Mexico led 17:13 at the break, having broken away with a 5:0 run from 7:6 to 12:6 in the first half. They pulled further clear after the restart, leading by as much as 29:18, and won 35:26. Guadeloupe still finished second and joined Mexico in the semi-finals.

Group B was the closer of the two. On the opening day, Cuba and the USA were level 14:14 at half-time. Cuba took over after the break, built a 23:17 lead and won 32:28. Yoan Carlos Aguilera Moreno and Carlos Félix Rodríguez García scored seven goals each for Cuba, and Simon Neumaier scored 10 for the USA. Hosts Canada beat Puerto Rico 34:30, with Charles Houle scoring nine.

On the next day, Cuba beat Puerto Rico 33:23. They turned a 1:2 deficit into an 8:2 lead with a 7:0 run, the longest of the competition, and added another 5:0 run later in the first half to lead 18:10 at the break. Osmany Miniet Pérez scored eight goals. The USA and Canada were also level 14:14 at half-time, and the score was tied repeatedly in the second half. The USA pulled away in the last ten minutes to win 31:27, with Neumaier scoring eight.

The final group day decided the standings. The USA beat Puerto Rico 28:24, setting up the win with a 5:0 run from 6:5 to 11:5 in the first half, and Nathaniel Long scored eight. Cuba and Canada then played the most dramatic match of the competition. Cuba led 20:18 at the break, but Canada turned it around to lead 24:21 early in the second half. The lead changed hands several times, and the match finished 38:38. Enrique Carlos Fuente Imbert scored eight goals for Cuba and Malik Caron seven for Canada. The draw was enough for Cuba to win the group with five points, ahead of the USA with four. Canada were third with three, with Puerto Rico finishing last, with zero points.

In the first semi-final on 31 October, Mexico met the USA in a close match. Mexico led 16:15 at half-time, but the USA moved ahead early in the second half, and the lead changed hands several times. Mexico went 27:24 up in the closing stages and held on to win 30:28. Osvaldo Pascual Maya Pedraza scored 12 goals for Mexico and David Gloria Hernanez eight. Nathaniel Long led the USA with eight and Simon Neumaier added seven.

In the second semi-final, Cuba took control of their match against Guadeloupe with a 6:0 run in the first half, from 10:8 to 16:8, and led 17:10 at the break. They extended the lead to 22:11 soon after the restart. Guadeloupe fought back to 27:22, but Cuba won 28:24. Osmany Miniet Pérez scored 12 goals for Cuba, and Steeven Marcelin led Guadeloupe with seven, with Julien Lucina adding four.

Cuba started the final on Sunday, 1 November, at full speed and after 14 minutes, they were up 10:2. Mexico fought back to 12:15 by half-time and closed the gap to one goal at 20:21 ten minutes into the second half. Cuba then pulled away again, leading 28:25 and 33:27, and won 38:30. Osmany Miniet Pérez scored nine goals for Cuba and Carlos Félix Rodríguez García eight. David Gloria Hernanez led Mexico with seven and Ruben Dario Villa Duarte added five.

In the bronze medal match, the USA beat Guadeloupe 31:25. They led 17:13 at half-time and went eight goals up at 22:14 shortly after the break. Nathaniel Long scored 10 goals for the USA and Noah Staab eight. Julien Lucina scored 10 for Guadeloupe.

Puerto Rico finished fifth. They first beat Greenland 27:26, after Greenland led 15:14 at the break helped by a 5:0 run from 6:5 to 11:5. Puerto Rico then beat hosts Canada 39:30. They opened that match with a 6:0 run and added another 5:0 run in the first half, while Canada answered with a 5:0 run of their own from 2:8 to 7:8. Canada finished sixth and Greenland seventh.

Cuba’s Osmany Miniet Pérez was the top scorer with 38 goals. The USA’s Simon Neumaier and Nathaniel Long followed with 31 each, ahead of Mexico’s David Gloria Hernanez with 30 and Osvaldo Pascual Maya Pedraza with 29.

Final ranking: 1. Cuba, 2. Mexico, 3. USA, 4. Guadeloupe, 5. Puerto Rico, 6. Canada, 7. Greenland.