24 teams will be lining up at the start of the Men’s EHF EURO 2026, the 17th edition of the premium continental competition. The EHF EURO 2026 will also be a qualification event for the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship, with four spots available for the event which will take place next January.

The EHF EURO 2026 will throw off on Thursday, 15 January, with the competition being hosted in four different venues over three countries – Herning in Denmark, Malmö and Kristianstad in Sweden and Bærum, Norway. The final weekend will take place in Herning, with the legendary Jyske Bank Boxen hosting the final on 1 February.

The 24 participating teams have been drawn into six groups of four teams, with the top two sides in each group progressing to the main round. There, two groups of six teams will be formed, with the top two teams in each group making it to the semi-finals.

All the usual suspects in fighting for the big title are there, with all but one of the previous winners of the competition lining up at the start, with Sweden boasting the largest number of titles – five – while Spain have the largest number of medals won, nine, followed closely by Denmark, with eight.

Denmark, co-hosts in the competition, will be eyeing to become the second team in history to hold the titles in all the three major events – the IHF Men’s World Championship, the Olympic Games and the continental competition, in this case, the EHF EURO – simultaneously. 

Denmark, unbeaten at the IHF Men’s World Championship since 2017, have not won the EHF EURO since 2012, finishing second twice since then, in 2014 and 2024, and securing the bronze medal in 2022.

Nevertheless, their challenge will be definitely difficult, as the top half of the draw looks stacked. Denmark have been drawn in Group B, which will be played in Herning, alongside Portugal, North Macedonia and Romania. 

However, Group A and Group C also contain some of the biggest heavy hitters in the competition, therefore making Group I of the main round a tough one to navigate. Group A sees Germany – the Paris 2024 Olympic Games runners-up – plus Spain – winners at the EHF EURO in 2018 and 2020 and the Paris 2024 bronze medallists – Austria and Serbia.

In Group C, France and co-hosts Norway will be favoured against Czechia and Ukraine, but will definitely have their work cut out in the main round. France will also be without Nedim Remili, an influential presence in the back line, due to a muscular injury, which will see him sidelined throughout the month of January.

There will be no shortage of drama in the other groups, with the runners-up of the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, Croatia, featuring in Group E, alongside the most decorated team in the history of the EHF EURO, Sweden, as well as Netherlands and Georgia.

Dark horses Iceland are in Group F, alongside Hungary, Poland and Italy, while Group D looks as open as ever, with injury-laden Slovenia facing the Faroe Islands, Montenegro and Switzerland.

The preliminary round of the competition will take place between 15 and 21 January, with the main round running between 22 and 28 January, with a rest day scheduled on 29 January. The two semi-finals, as well as the final are played on 30 January and 1 February respectively.

The EHF EURO 2026 will also be a qualification event for the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship, with four spots available for the event which will take place next January.

Provided Denmark (reigning champions) and Germany (hosts) finish in the top 4, the fifth and sixth place at the EHF EURO will also make it to the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship, with the two powerhouses already sealing their tickets. 

EHF EURO 2026 – preliminary round

Group A (in Herning): Germany, Spain, Austria, Serbia
Group B (in Herning): Denmark, Portugal, North Macedonia, Romania
Group C (in Bærum): France, Norway, Czechia, Ukraine
Group D (in Bærum): Slovenia, Faroe Islands, Montenegro, Switzerland
Group E (in Malmö): Sweden, Croatia, Netherlands, Georgia
Group F (in Kristianstad): Hungary, Iceland, Poland, Italy