The first two matchdays of the Men’s EHF EURO 2028 Qualifiers have concluded on Sunday, 8 November, and the qualification picture for the continental competition, which also serves as a qualification event  for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, is starting to get clearer.

32 teams lined up at the start of the EHF EURO 2028 Qualifiers, with the teams being divided into eight groups of four teams each. The top two sides in each group, plus the four best third-placed teams will secure their tickets for the competition.

In Group 8, Greece shocked North Macedonia on their home court, with a dominating 29:24 win, as Michail Stathis and Achilleas Toskas each scored seven goals. Greece led the match in Chalkida from start to finish, opening even a nine-goal lead, before their opponents came back and managed to weather the storm, but not enough to seal a point.

This win also enables Greece to hope for their second berth at the EHF EURO, after the one in 2024, as the two points will come in handy in the standings. Previously, Kiril Lazarov’s side beat Luxembourg, 41:23, while Greece lost against Sweden, 33:24.

Sweden are the leaders of the group, breaking the record for goals scored in a match in the EHF EURO Qualifiers, with a 50:20 drubbing of Luxembourg, who are coached by Didier Dinart.

Another huge shock came in Group 5, where Israel made a huge step of securing their maiden appearance at the EHF EURO since 2002, with a dramatic 31:28 win over Slovenia. The European side, fourth at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, led 14:13 at the break, but conceded a 28:31 loss, as Daniel Mosindi scored 10 goals.

Czechia beat Israel, 27:26, in the opening round, while adding their second win, 32:19, on Bosnia Herzegovina’s court, while Slovenia also beat Bosnia, 38:28. In the standings, Czechia have four points, while Slovenia and Israel are tied on two points, with this group likely to send one third-placed team to the final tournament.

In Group 1, favourites Croatia and the Netherlands secured big wins against Finland and Lithuania, making a big step towards qualification. Croatia, silver medallists at the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, took a 46:28 home win against Lithuania and doubled down with a 35:25 win over Finland, and are leading the group with a +28 goal difference. Netherlands is close behind, having won 33:24 against Finland and 41:27 against Lithuania, in Mark Bult’s debut as a coach.

Norway and Austria are leading Group 2, having secured wins against Türkiye and Georgia. Norway, with Magnus Andersson making his official debut on the bench, spared no moments in dropping at least 40 goals in each match, clinching a 40:23 win against Georgia and a 45:31 win against Türkiye in the second match. Austria, on the other side, secured a win against Türkiye on their home court, 37:30, and then beat Georgia 35:23, with left wing Sebastian Frimmel scoring 11 and five goals respectively in the two matches.

In Group 3, Iceland and Serbia all but ensured their tickets to the final competition in Portugal, Spain and Switzerland, with clear wins over Ukraine and Estonia. Iceland rotated all their players in their maiden win against Ukraine, 48:26, while doing the same in the second match against Estonia, 39:26, where left wing Bjarki Mar Elisson scored 10 goals. Serbia beat Estonia, 39:18, and Ukraine, 41:30, pulling away in the second half of the latter match.

The battle is on in Group 4, where only Hungary have maximum points after two matches, having won against Montenegro, 32:21, and Kosovo, 34:20, in László Sótonyi’s debut as a coach. After the Faroe Islands beat Kosovo on their home court, 37:30, they drew against Montenegro, 34:34, in Podgorica, as the battle for the qualification is still tough, but this group might send the third-placed side to the final tournament.

Favourites France and Poland also clinched two wins against Romania and Latvia in Group 6, with France clinching a 34:27 win against Romania and a 44:29 win against Latvia. Poland, on the other hand, won against Latvia, 33:24, and managed to steer away from Romania early in the match and manage their lead in the second match, clinching a 30:28 win in Tulcea.

Germany and Italy are dominating Group 7. Germany had no issues against Belgium (42:32) and Slovakia (39:27), but Italy avoided an early scare against Slovakia on their home court, taking a 34:32 win, after the score was tied at the break, 17:17. In the second match, Italy beat Belgium, 24:20.

The next two rounds of the EHF EURO 2028 Qualifiers will take place on 10-11 March and 13-14 March 2027, with the top two seeded teams locking horns in a doubleheader.

The EHF EURO Cup 2028, the competition reserved for the already qualified teams, also took place this week.

Denmark are leading the pack, with a 28:28 draw on their home court in Herning against Spain, following with a 33:24 win against Switzerland in Zurich. Mathias Gidsel, the 2023, 2024 and 2025 IHF Male Player of the Year, scored nine goals in the first match, while Simon Pytlick added 10 goals in the win against Switzerland.

Portugal are tied with Denmark in the standings, having won against Switzerland, 33:28, on their home court, while drawing in a high-octane match against Spain, 37:37, in their second one. “Los Hispanos” are third in the standings, with two points, while Switzerland are lost, having lost both their matches.

Photo credit: Hellenic Handball Federation - OXE / Paris Sarrikostas