The main round of the 2025/26 season of the EHF European League Men has concluded on Tuesday, with 12 of the 16 remaining teams in the competition making it to the knockout phase.

Two German sides – THW Kiel and Recken - TSV Hannover-Burgdorf – plus HC Vardar 1961 and FC Porto made it directly to the quarter-finals after winning their groups, while eight other teams - SAH – Aarhus, SG Flensburg-Handewitt, Montpellier Handball, Elverum Håndball, Fredericia Håndboldklub, MT Melsungen, IFK Kristianstad and RK Nexe are in the play-offs, with eight countries represented between the qualified teams.

32 teams lined up at the start of the group phase, with the top two in each group progressing to the main round, but only one side kept their winning streak intact, securing 10 wins in 10 matches.

Four-time EHF European League Men winners THW Kiel, which have a chance to become the most decorated team in the history of the competition, being now tied with SC Magdeburg and Frisch Auf Göppingen, have won all their 10 matches so far, dominating the competition in superb fashion.

Kiel won Group I, with strong opponents on their backs, as they swept German rivals SG Flensburg-Handewitt, 32:30 and 36:29, as well as Spanish side Irudek Bidasoa Irún, 37:32 and 27:20.

As Kiel made it directly to the quarter-finals, Flensburg – the reigning champions – have finished second, tied on points with Montpellier, but boasting the better head-to-head results, after winning at home, 40:35, against the French side and losing in France, 32:35.

It was a battle for the ages between FC Porto and Elverum Handball in Group II, as the two sides started both with two points and ended up with eight points each at the end of the main round, but Porto had the upper hand, due to their away win, 29:25, as opposed to their home loss, 27:29.

The Portuguese side lost their maiden match, against SAH – Aarhus, 28:33, in the main round, but went on to collect wins against Fraikin BM Granollers, 29:27 and 34:33, finishing off with a crucial 30:29 win against SAH – Aarhus in the last match. Despite winning by no more than two goals, they ended up first in the group, with Elverum and SAH – Aarhus also making the knockout phase.

A dominating 34:25 win against MT Melsungen in the last matchday of the main round saw HC Vardar 1961 progress to the quarter-finals as the top side in Group 3, shaking off a slow start with a 35:40 loss against SL Benfica, before embarking on a three-match winning streak.

Melsungen finished second, tied on points with IFK Kristianstad, with the Swedish side making it also in the play-offs.

A single loss in the main round provided a hefty enough cushion for Recken - TSV Hannover-Burgdorf to secure the first place in Group 4 and make it into the quarter-finals. Hannover lost against RK Nexe, 23:26, in the last match, as Nexe finished second, tied on points with the German side, but holding the tiebreaker against the Croatian side and Fredericia Handboldklub, which also finished on eight points but ended up on the third place.

The play-offs are scheduled for 31 March and 7 April and will see Flensburg take on SAH – Aarhus, Montpellier facing Elverum Handball, Melsungen measure up with Fredericia and IFK Kristianstad hoping to beat RK Nexe.

The top scorer of the EHF European League Men this season is Swedish centre back Axel Månsson, the All-Star centre back of the 2025 IHF Junior Men’s World Championship, who scored 86 goals so far.

Icelandic wing Odinn Thor Rikhardsson (Kadetten Schaffhausen) is second, with 73 goals, while Norwegian right wing Kevin Gulliksen (Elverum) is third, with 71 goals.

EHF European League Men – play-offs (31 March / 7 April)

SAH – Aarhus (DEN) vs SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER)
Montpellier Handball (FRA) vs Elverum Håndball (NOR)
Fredericia Handboldklub (DEN) vs MT Melsungen (GER)
IFK Kristianstad (SWE) vs RK Nexe (CRO)

Photo credit: FC Porto