Veszprém HC has virtually secured their place in the final of the 2026 IHF Men’s Club World Championship, with a dramatic win against Füchse Berlin, 34:33, as the Hungarian side took back the lead with six seconds left in the match after the German side dominated for 50 minutes.

GROUP B
Füchse Berlin (GER) vs Veszprém HC (HUN) 33:34 (19:16)

Arguably the most important match of the Group Phase of the 2026 IHF Men’s Club World Championship was the showdown between Füchse Berlin and Veszprém HC, two champions of the competition, with the outcome virtually deciding the team which progressed to the final  from this group.

Veszprém were flying high, after the two sides also met in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 11 days ago and the Hungarian side beat Füchse in Berlin, 35:29, but that win was no guarantee that Füchse were going down without a fight.

And indeed they did not.

However, after six minutes, Veszprém had the upper hand and were looking in total control, taking a 3:0 lead. Their defence worked wonders, especially goalkeeper Emil Nielsen, while Füchse could not find a grip on the match, constantly missing out key chances.

The key takeaway was, though, that Füchse were creating those chances. And after their first goal, six minutes and 34 seconds in the match, their performance started flowing, especially with right back Mathias Gidsel getting into the groove.

Goalkeeper Lasse Ludwig made seven saves in the first 19 minutes of the half to also bring Füchse in a better position and when the attack started converting the chances they had, the match was turned on its head.

A 6:1 run spurred by Gidsel and fellow back Tobias Grondahl saw Füchse take a 9:6 lead, which grew to five goals, 12:7, after 18 minutes, as Veszprém had little to show in attack, where they looked slow and predictable, despite coach Xavi Pascual rotating the lines and changing his entire back line after 15 minutes.

Nevertheless, the match was far from over, with Füchse’s Gidsel and Grondahl combining for 11 goals in the first half, to gift a three-goal lead, 19:16, at the break, with the German side having the momentum, but slowing down by the end of the first 30 minutes.

But the start of the second half was all Veszprem. A 2:0 run, fueled by three suspensions over three minutes and 13 seconds for Füchse managed to get Veszprém back in the match, but the Hungarian side missed the chance to tie the score after Bence Imre missed a penalty.

After two other missed chances to tie the score, Veszprém finally pulled through and got level, 24:24, with 20 minutes to go, but Füchse still had plenty in their tank. By the 42nd minute, when they went up 27:24, Gidsel and Grondahl had combined for 17 goals and the momentum had shifted once again.

To come back every time from behind is a difficult challenge, but Veszprém looked more than equipped to deal with it, tying the score once again via a penalty from Ahmed Hesham, 28:28, with 12 mintues left on the clock and everything still possible.

But did Veszprém have enough in the tank to really mount a comeback?

For almost five minutes, the two sides failed to score any goal, as Veszprem’s attack missed some easy chances, while on defence, Emil Nielsen shut the goal, with three consecutive saves.

Yet with less than six minutes left, the Hungarian side, finalists in 2025 and winners in 2024, were two goals down and their chances of another push to the final hanged by a thread.

Handball can be cruel sometimes and one can lose a match where they led for more than 50 minutes. 

And this is what happened in this match too, with Veszprém milking the clock in the dying seconds to enable Nedim Remili to score with six seconds left, taking back the lead, 34:33.

Füchse could not score with their last shot and the Hungarian side secured the win, their second in this group and one which basically ensures them safe passage to the final, where they are due to meet Barcelona yet again.

Player of the Match: Lasse Ludwig (Füchse Berlin)