Györi Audi ETO KC will be looking to secure their eighth title in the EHF Champions League Women, and their third in a row, in the business end of the European premium competition, which will take place in Hungary’s capital, Budapest, on 6 and 7 June.

Since the new format of the competition was introduced in the 1993/94 season, only two teams – Györ and Vipers Kristiansand – won three titles on the trot, with the Hungarian powerhouse clinching them in 2017, 2018 and 2019, while Vipers followed suit in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

The Raiffeisen Bank EHF FINAL4 2026 will see two teams from the previous edition – Györ and Metz Handball – return, with the quarter being completed by CSM București and Brest Bretagne Handball.

Györ were once again the dominant force of the competition, having lost only two matches from 16 this season, as they won their group, tied on points with Metz Handball, but with a better head-to-head record, then went on and eliminated Odense Håndbold in the quarter-finals, with a stunning 76:53 aggregate win.

They will face Brest Bretagne Handball in the semi-finals, with Brest also winning their group, but conceding three losses, before going on to eliminate Gloria Bistrița in the quarter-finals, thanks to two wins and a 73:65 aggregate win.

While Györ have plenty of experience on display, Brest will be in the EHF FINAL4 only for the second time in history. However, in their debut, in the 2020/21 season, they eliminated Györ in the semi-finals, after a 20:20 draw in regular time. Then, the two sides also drew after extra-time, with Brest progressing thanks to a 27:25 win after penalties.

However, Györ have only lost a single match in their head-to-head record against Brest, with the Hungarian side winning seven and five matches ending in a draw between two sides which have won the domestic title in Hungary and France respectively.

In the other semi-final, CSM București face Metz Handball, one of the teams which created the largest amount of issues for the Romanian side. In total, in the 12 head-to-head matches, Metz won nine, riding a five-match winning streak against CSM, which have not won against their French counterparts since September 2020.

For CSM, this is the first appearance in the EHF FINAL4 since the 2017/18 seasons, returning to Budapest exactly 10 years after winning their first and only major international trophy – the EHF Champions League, after a dramatic final played against Györ, which was decided on penalties.

CSM have had a roller-coaster season, with a slow start, which prompted a coaching change, but Bojana Popovic has rejuvenated the team, helping CSM finish second in their group, then eliminate Team Esbjerg, 62:53 on aggregate.

Metz, on the other side, also finished second in their group and clinched their tickets for the FINAL4 with a 62:59 aggregate win in the quarter-finals against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria, sealing their fourth appearance in the last five seasons.

However, Metz have lost seven of the eight matches played in Budapest and have never featured in the final of the European premium competition, their best finish coming in the 2021/22 season, when they ended up on the third place.

The Raiffeisen Bank EHF FINAL4 2026 will take place in the MVM Dome in Budapest on 6 and 7 June, with the first semi-final between CSM and Metz scheduled for 15:00 CEST, followed by the Györ vs Brest match at 18:00 CEST. On Sunday, the bronze medal match is scheduled at 15:00 CEST, while the final starts at 18:00 CEST.

Györ have featured 10 times from 11 editions in the FINAL4, winning eight semi-finals. Metz have played four times, CSM three times and Brest a single time. Only Györ and CSM have won the title so far, with Györ having seven titles in the European premium competition.

The top scorer of the season is currently Esbjerg’s Henny Reistad (131 goals), followed by Bistrița’s Danila So Delgado (121) and Metz’s Sarah Bouktit (105). Anna Vyakhireva (Brest) is fourth, with 104 goals.

Photo credit: Krim Otp Group Mercator / kolektiff / Jozo Cabraja