Tournament Preview: 2025 IHF U21 Men's World Championship

POLAND | JUNE 18-29

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The 2025 IHF U21 Men's World Championship starts tomorrow, and the United States Junior Men’s National Team’s path at their third consecutive World Championship begins Wednesday, June 18 against Japan. The squad will continue their group stage with matches against Sweden on Friday, June 20 and South Korea on Saturday, June 21.

The competition will bring 32 teams - from five confederations - from around the world and will be held in Poland from June 19-28, with the U.S. based in Sosnowiec, Poland for the preliminary round of the competition. The United States enters the tournament looking to better their 27th-place finish at the 2023 edition of the tournament. Five athletes - Benjamin Edwards, Nepomuk Grabner, Maksim McCauley, Tristan Morawski, and Grayson Wide - return to the roster from the last World Championship looking to add some veteran presence.

Coming off of a Gold Medal at the 2025 IHF Intercontinental Trophy, held in Pristina, Kosovo from March 12-16, the American side looks to build off of that chemistry and success, with all 14 players from the trophy-lifting team heading to Poland.

"Our chemistry has been evolving great," goalkeeper Grayson Wide said. "I know we can do great things and I am excited for the challenges that face us in the group stage."

The three other squads in Group C alongside the U.S. - Japan, Sweden, and South Korea - have "very distinct styles of play", according to Head Coach Danilo Rojevic.

"Japan and South Korea both bring a fast, fluid game - they put significant emphasis in transition and demand high focus for 60 minutes," said Rojevic. "Sweden plays a more traditional handball: tactically structured with strong fundamentals and depth in every position."

The squad spent the past week at the National Academy of Handball, or NEKA, in Hungary training. Additionally, a friendly match versus the Slovenia U-21 national team on June 15 provided an important test for the U.S. and showed the level of competition that will face them in Poland. The final score of the match was 40-21, in favor of the Slovenians.

"Our recent camp and friendly matches have been crucial in preparing us for what’s ahead," Rojevic added. "The match against Slovenia, a top-tier team, was a tough one, but within that game, we saw phases where we executed well and showed we can compete in stretches. It was a reminder of the level we’re aspiring to reach and what it takes to sustain performance against world-class opposition."

All tournament matches will be streamed on the International Handball Federation (IHF) YouTube Channel.

Stay tuned to USA Team Handball's social media for updates throughout the tournament!