Cuba finished last in World Handball Championship

Cuba closed its participation in the 2025 World Handball Championship with a 33-31 loss, after penalties, against Guinea and finished last in the competition, hosted for the first time by three countries: Denmark, Norway and Croatia.

Both teams lost their previous six matches and they did not win this one either, with a cat-and-mouse match ensuing, where Guinea and Cuba were tied at half-time, 16:16, and after the regular 60 minutes, 28:28, with neither a 5:0 run for Cuba, nor a 4:0 run for Guinea in the second half being able to break the deadlock.

While the Player of the match, Cuba goalkeeper, Adan Armando Calzado Martinez, saved 10 shots for a 45% saving efficiency and left wing Hanser Rodriguez added 10 goals, they were unable to make the difference.

At penalties, the first two Cubans missed their shots, enabling Guinea, which scored all the five they had, to celebrate the win and avoid finishing on the last place, where Cuba landed for the first time in history after losing all its seven matches, which leaves a bitter taste in our mouth considering that the island won the Emerging Nations Championship in 2023 and the NORCA Handball Championship in 2024.