For the second time in four editions, Cuba secured the title at the NACHC Men's North America and the Caribbean Championship, also clinching a berth for the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, returning to the world handball flagship competition for the first time since 2009.

Six teams were at the start of the competition scheduled in Ciudad de Mexico, which was played in a round-robin format, with all the six sides playing against each other. The top two sides at the end of the 15 matches progressed to the final, where the winner was decided.

It was Cuba, the title holders from the 2023 IHF Men’s Emerging Nations Championship, which dominated the competition, having won all the five matches in the group phase, throwing off with two big wins, 34:17 against Puerto Rico and 40:24 against Canada.

With the best attack in the competition, Cuba went even one step further and dominated a title challenger, Greenland, taking a clear 35:26 win, after leading by nine goals at the end of the first half, 21:12.

The last two matches saw Cuba lock horns with two other title candidates, the United States of America and hosts Mexico, but those challenges were also overcome with flying colours by Cuba, which delivered a 32:23 win against the USA and a 34:20 win against Mexico, sealing the first place with the best attack and the best defence in the group phase.

The battle for the second place was even more fiery, as this spot was crucial for the final berth. Three teams ended in a tie on six points, with Mexico, Greenland and the United States of America, with the second spot in the final decided in the head-to-head ties.

Greenland won against Mexico, 26:25, but lost against the USA, 30:32, which opened a spot for Mexico, which opened the competition with a 37:28 win against the American team, as they had a +8 goal difference in this three-way tie, enough to lift them to the final for the first time in history.

There was no question about the winner of the final, with Cuba dominating the match from start to finish. On the back of an eight-goal performance from the MVP of the 2023 IHF Men’s Emerging Nations Championship, Hanser Rodriguez, Cuba took a 18:10 lead at the break and doubled down to take an ever bigger win against the hosts, 36:21, than in the group phase.

It was Cuba’s second title at the NACHC Men's North America and the Caribbean Championship and only the first time in history when they swept their opponents to seal the gold medal, after drawing one match in 2018.

In the bronze medal match, Greenland took a 29:25 win against USA and completed their medal cabinet with a bronze, after clinching the gold in 2014 and the silver in 2022. Greenland also had the top scorer of the competition, left back Minik Dahl Høegh, who scored 39 goals.

In the Placement Match 5/6, Canada took a 29:23 win against Puerto Rico, finishing fifth in their return to the competition after six years.

Cuba have also sealed a place at the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, making their return to the world handball flagship competition for the first time since 2009, when they ended up on the 20th place.

Photo credit: Handball Store Mexico