Never in their previous five appearances at the IHF Men’s World Championship were Portugal such in a fantastic position, with a clear chance of a quarter-finals berth. After four matches, the European side has started with three wins and a draw, proving a strong performer, one which can deliver fantastic displays, even against the best teams in the world.

Their first two wins, against USA (30:21) and Brazil (30:26) were quite clear cut. Then, they dominated Norway, on their home court, to take a 31:28 win. Their opener in the main round, a high-octane 37:37 draw against Sweden, was another highlight of the competition, with 74 goals scored between the two sides.

When Portugal re-emerged as one of the top sides in the world, at Egypt 2021, they did not have much international experience, but they were slowly getting better and better. However, in just four years, the team has improved drastically, with some fresh air provided by the pipeline of talent which saw their junior team finish fourth at the 2019 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship and sixth at the 2023 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship.

Yet the core of the team is still formed by the players which emerged on the big stage a few years ago. Wings Antonio Areia and Pedro Portela are still there. So is centre back Rui Silva, the captain of this side. And so is Victor Iturriza, the 34-year-old line player, who has been a rock in defence, but also created a great partnership on his position with Luis Frade.

“The start of this edition of the World Championship has been excellent for us. We have been playing very good, with a lot of team spirit and a lot of cohesion. We have started good and we want to continue on this path, even if we are due to have tough matches,” says Iturriza.

While the core is formed by the same players, the additions have been nothing short of superb. Luis Frade was in the squad, but he was still only 22 years old and was just getting his first steps with FC Barcelona, at club level. The Costa brothers – right back Francisco and left back Martim, who combined for 43 goals in this competition – had not broken through yet.

Portugal are still led by the same coach, Paulo Pereira, even though they made a step back at Poland/Sweden 2023, ending up on the 13th position, after coming 10th at Egypt 2021. But they relied on the same system and it proved successful.

“All the young guys, because we have quite a young team, are very good. They learn, they are giving it all and are doing everything they can for us to have a good team. We are feeling excellent,” adds Iturriza.

The 34-year-old line player came to Portugal in 2014, spending two seasons at Atletica de Avanca before signing for Porto. He was born in Cuba, but he calls Portugal his home now, spending the last 10 years at Porto. 

A strong, dual-threat player, essential in defence, but also very good in attack, the Portuguese player has been on a steep upward curve in terms of his form, after returning from an injury, which hampered the last year.

“The sensations we feel are incredible. We have not lost, but we really have a tough match against Spain coming in the next day. There is no room for mistake, but we are confident and we really think we can get the best out of us and provide another excellent performance, so we can win,” adds the 34-year-old line player.

So far, Iturriza has been excellent. Against Sweden, he had four steals, taking his overall tally to five in the competition. Adding five blocked shots and 11 goals from 14 shots for a 79% shooting efficiency, he has been nothing short of spectacular on both sides of the ball for the European side.

With only 11 wins in 25 matches prior to this competition, Portugal are just on the cusp of glory. They already won three matches and finishing on the top two places in their group would secure the best-ever performance. And they have two matches left, against Spain and Chile, where Portugal look to have enough to take at least one win.

But what would a quarter-finals berth mean, one which can be sealed with a win against Sweden, provided other results go Portugal’s way?

“For us, it would be something absolutely incredible, for the handball in Portugal, and for us as a team. A few years ago, we could not qualify for these major competitions. Now we are here and it is in touching distance. It is more than a dream, it would be something amazing, but we still have to work for it,” says the line player.

But for him personally?

“Wow, again, more than a dream. Something that would set us apart. It would be Portugal’s greatest result in history and for me, also, a great achievement,” says Iturriza.