For the first time in history, Norway are co-hosting the IHF Men’s World Championship and the ambitions are big for the Scandinavian side, as they aim to return to the podium for the first time since 2019, with back-to-back silver medals at France 2017 and Denmark/Germany 2019.

Norway will be playing in Group E at the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, alongside Portugal, Brazil and the United States of America, a group which will take place in the Unity Arena in Baerum, near Oslo, where the Scandinavian side will likely be favourite to proceed to the main round with the maximum number of points.

Over the last major international competitions, Norway have always been close, but no cigar, having finished sixth each time in the previous two editions of the IHF Men’s World Championship, sixth at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and fifth and ninth respectively at the last two editions of the EHF EURO.

Coach Jonas Wille has slowly introduced new players into his squad, giving more responsibility to players such as back Tobias Grøndahl, left back Simen Lyse or left wing Alexander Blonz, but the experienced core formed by right wing Kristian Bjørnsen, centre back Christian O’Sullivan or star Sander Sagosen will be there to guide the Scandinavian side to a medal challenge.

Sagosen will undoubtedly be Norway’s lightning rod for this competition, the player who will aim to lead his team to a medal, after returning from an injury in good form for his club team, Kolstad Handball, where he has been plying his trade for the last two seasons, in a bid of getting more playing time along some of his Norway teammates.

Norway will be favoured due to their hosting status, but also to their superior head-to-head record with their opponents in Group E. Over the last four years, Norway and Portugal have met several times in major international competitions, as Norway dominated Portugal, albeit by a low margin.

The two European sides in the group have met six times, with Norway taking four wins and Portugal two wins, with four of those meeting taking place in the last four years, including two in 2024. 

Portugal took one win this year, 37:32, in January, at the EHF EURO 2024, but Norway avenged that loss with a 32:29 win at the Olympic Qualification Tournament for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in a match which took place in March, in Tatabanya, Hungary, as Jonas Wille’s side secured the coveted Olympic berth.

The only mutual match at the IHF Men’s World Championship took place at Egypt 2021, in the main round, when Portugal returned after nearly two decades to the world handball flagship competition, as Norway edged their counterparts by a single goal, 29:28.

The Scandinavian side also have won all the five matches played against Brazil in major international competitions, with the last one coming at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, in August 2021, when they took a 27:24 win. The previous four wins came at the IHF Men’s World Championship, 34:12 in 2005, 39:21 in 2009, 26:25 in 2011 and 39:26 in 2017, with three out of the four wins being in double digits.

With a fantastic generation which is getting infused with raw talent, coming from young players which have shined at continental level in Europe in the last years, Portugal are projecting once again to be a serious dark horse in their sixth appearance at the IHF Men’s World Championship.

This is the third consecutive appearance for Portugal – the first time they make it three times in a row in the world handball flagship competition – where they hope to improve on their best finish ever, the 10th place at Egypt 2021.

Sure, Portugal have plenty of experience, with players like Luis Frade, Rui Silva, Miguel Martins and Alexandra Cavalcanti still running the show, but the team is now slowly gravitating to the Costa brothers – Francisco and Martim – with the latter being the top goal scorer of the EHF EURO 2024.

They did not lose against Brazil in their previous meetings, clinching the first meeting, 18:26, in the preliminary round at the 1997 IHF Men’s World Championship, and drawing the second one, two years ago, at Poland/Sweden 2023, 28:28, while they are facing the USA for the first time.

Brazil are the reigning champions in the South and Central American Men’s Handball Championship, doubling down on their success from 2022, by beating hosts Argentina in January 2024, securing the title with five wins in five matches.

Nevertheless, since making the top-10 for the first time in history at Denmark/Germany 2019, when they ended up on the ninth place, the South American side made a step back and ended up on the 18th place at Egypt 2021 and on the 17th place at Poland/Sweden 2023.

Preparing for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, the United States of America were recipients of one of the two wild cards for the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, but will have a mountain to climb, being drawn in a tough group, with plenty of experience and depth surrounding them.

Two years ago, at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship, the USA finished on the 23rd place, but secured their maiden wins, beating Morocco and Belgium to stop a 25-match losing streak.

They did not face Norway or Portugal until this point, but have a long history against Brazil in the PanAmerican Games and in the now-defunct Pan American Championship, having won six of the 18 mutual matches played.

However, in the last four matches, the USA lost by a combined margin of 72 goals, all the four losses coming in double digits, including a 27:40 loss in the semi-finals of the PanAmerican Games in 2023.