“After the performances we've shown at the EHF EURO 2024, the Paris 2024 Olympic Qualification Tournament and the 2025 IHF World Championship qualification itself, our goal is definitely the main round,” said Austria’s head coach Aleš Pajovič after he guided his side to a 64:56 aggregate two-legged victory over Georgia in May to stamp their ticket to Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025.

But it was not plain sailing for the European side in against the Georgians, a nation who have never qualified for a senior IHF Men’s World Championship.

Over the past four editions of the IHF Men’s World Championship, Norway have been one of the most consistent teams in the competition, making the final twice, at France 2017 and Denmark/Germany 2019, when they won the silver medal, and the quarter-finals twice, at Egypt 2021 and Poland/Sweden 2023.

The Scandinavian side finished on the sixth place in the last two occasions, but consolidated their status as one of the best teams in the world, also making the cut for the Olympic Games at the last two editions – Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.

Over the past 30 years, Japan have made the cut for the IHF Men’s World Championship eight times from a possible 15 appearances, but the Asian side looks to finally be on the up and cement their status at both the continental and the global level in men’s handball.

The last time Japan made the top-10 at the IHF Men’s World Championship was in 1970, 55 years ago, and have never finished higher than the 15th place – in 1997 – over the last 30 years. But slowly, with a lot of patience, Japan have built a dazzling team, which had already delivered some excellent result.

Bahrain arrive at Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025 for just their sixth IHF Men’s World Championship appearance, having made their debut at the 2011 edition in Sweden.

Fourteen years ago, the Asian side could only finish 23rd out of 24 teams, but they have not seen their ranking dip below that in their four appearances since, most impressively finishing 16th last time out, in 2023.

Pálmarsson and Iceland look to break inside world’s top 10 once again

The co-hosts of the 2031 IHF Men’s World Championship (alongside Norway and Denmark) come to the tri-hosted 2025 edition looking to inspirational captain Aron Palmarsson to help guide them back inside the top 10 of the global elite.

Back in 2009 Croatia hosted the IHF Men’s World Championship, winning nine games in a row to make it to the final at the Arena Zagreb, where they lost to France 19:24 – a team they had beaten a few days earlier in the main round stage.

Now, in 2025 as co-hosts along with Norway and Denmark, Croatia will be hoping to be on the podium once again and for the first time since 2013 when they ended with bronze.

2024 has been a year with ups and downs for Spain, which saw Jordi Ribera’s side experience all the possible emotions, from the disappointment of missing out of a main round spot at the EHF EURO 2024, to the exhilarating trip to the bronze medal match at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where Spain secured a place on the podium.

Still, Spain had an aging squad and Ribera did not have many solutions at his disposal, as “Los Hispanos” are now embarking on a new journey, with the definite objective of competing for another medal at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Since returning to the IHF Men’s World Championship in 1995, after a 37-year wait, Brazil have been always part of the competition, with Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025 seeing the South American powerhouse clinch their 16th consecutive appearance in the world handball flagship competition.

However, Brazil have made the top-10 only once, at Denmark/Germany 2019, when they made the main round, won five out of their eight matches and ended up on the ninth place, following with a 18th place at Egypt 2021 and a 17th place at Poland/Sweden 2023.

It seems that every time a tournament comes around for France, we are either talking about a legend retiring and/or and a new generation coming through.

Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025 is no different, with France now living in a post-Nikola Karabatic era, following the retirement of the legendary French captain and centre back after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, joined in international retirement by Vincent Gérard, Valentin Porte and Timothey N'Guessan.

An unprecedented 28-match unbeaten streak, three world titles in a row and a domination which has never been seen at this level in the history of the IHF Men’s World Championship.

When Denmark take on the court in the Jyske Bank Boxen for the first time at the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, featuring against Algeria, the reigning world champions would have not lost a match in the competition for nearly eight years.