After the conclusion of the preliminary round of the M20 EHF EURO 2026, 12 teams have advanced to the main round.

Six teams have a perfect record after the preliminary round – three wins in three matches – starting the main round on two points, and Germany were the first side to jump to three wins in Group A.

The generation which became the champions at the 2025 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship last summer had a difficult group, alongside Greece, Portugal and France.

After taking a 31:30 hard-fought win against France, Germany beat Portugal (24:21) and then disposed of Greece, with their clearest win so far, 28:19.

Germany were followed into the main round by France, who beat Portugal by the skin of their teeth (30:29) and Greece (31:27).

Switzerland had the best attack in the competition and as well the top scorer of the preliminary round, Tiago Cuencas, dominating  the opposition by scoring 125 goals in three matches.

Cuencas had 31 goals in the preliminary round in Switzerland’s wins against Türkiye (50:32), Serbia (35:25) and Faroe Islands (40:32). Switzerland are returning for the second consecutive time at the IHF Men’s Junior World Championship, after finishing 13th two years ago.

The second team qualified to the main round and to the Junior World Championship was the Faroe Islands, after a dramatic three-way tie against Serbia and Türkiye. Faroe’s loss against Serbia (31:32) was cancelled by their win against Türkiye (40:28), while Türkiye beat Serbia, 30:29. With a superior goal difference in the three-way tie, the Faroe Islands made it to the next phase of the competition.

Spain (six points) and Iceland (four points) progressed to the next phase of the competition in Group C, while Denmark dominated Group D, taking three wins against Croatia (37:30), Norway (33:30) and North Macedonia (34:20).

The second spot was decided in the last second of the final match between Norway and Croatia, with the latter scoring at the buzzer to take a 33:32 win and progress to the next phase, as a draw would have been enough for Norway.

Hungary and Slovenia topped Group F and progressed to the next phase, while in Group E, Sweden sealed three wins and the second spot went to the wire, in a three-way tie between hosts Romania, Israel and Bosnia Herzegovina.

Bosnia won the first match, 36:34, against Romania, Israel beat Bosnia by 10 goals, 43:33, but conceded a 31:39 loss against Romania, which qualified with a +6 goal difference, as Israel (+2) and Bosnia (-8) finished third and fourth.

The main round of the M20 EHF EURO 2026 will take place on 13 and 14 July, with the top two sides in each of the three main round groups, plus two teams finishing third, qualifying for the quarter-finals. Therefore, the quarter-finalists will secure their places for the 2027 IHF Men's Junior World Championship, while the remaining teams will go to the Cross Matches 9-16, with the top 15 teams in the final standings advancing to the world handball flagship competition.

The two finals are scheduled on Sunday, 19 July.

Photo credit: Action Foto / FRH