The group phase of the 2025/26 season of the EHF European League Men will throw off on Tuesday, 14 October, with 32 teams at the start, representing 17 different countries. All eyes will be on the great prize – the EHF Finals, scheduled for 30 and 31 May 2026 in the Barclays Arena in Hamburg, where a new champion will be crowned.

The second-tier European competition has been dominated by German clubs, which won 23 of the last 27 editions, including the last three in a row and nine of the last 10 editions, with powerhouses like THW Kiel, Füchse Berlin and SG Flensburg-Handewitt lifting the trophy in this period.

Once again, at the start of the group phase, where the 32 teams have been divided into eight groups of four teams each, the German sides will be the best represented, Germany being the only country with four teams at the start.

The title holders of the last two seasons, SG Flensburg-Handewitt, are joined by MT Melsungen, THW Kiel and TSV Hannover-Burgdorf in this edition of the EHF European League Men, with the first three teams having already made the EHF Finals last season.

France, Spain, Switzerland and Sweden have each three representatives in the group phase, with Portugal, Denmark, Croatia and Romania having two teams each. Iceland, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Norway, Serbia and North Macedonia have one team each in this phase of the competition.

Title holders Flensburg have been drawn into Group A, one of the most balanced, if not the most balanced one, facing French side Saint-Raphaël Var Handball, Romanian side Potaissa Turda and Spanish side Bidasoa Irun.

Another well-balanced group sees a rematch of the semi-final between giants THW Kiel and Montpellier HB, with REBUD KPR Ostrovia Ostrów Wielkopolski and BSV Bern being also drawn in Group B. The two groups will merge in the main round, which means at least one of the favourites for the trophy will be out before the EHF Finals.

Former winners SL Benfica are in Group E, alongside the third German team in the competition, MT Melsungen, which were in the semi-finals last season, while Hungarian side FTC-Green Colect and HF Karlskrona from Sweden complete the group.

Another well-balanced group looks to be G, where Fredericia HK, which took part in the EHF Champions League Men last season, will face TSV Hannover-Burgdorf, IK Sävehof and Tatran Prešov, with plenty of experience on display, while Group H also promises to produce some entertaining matches, with Swiss side Kadetten Schaffhausen, RK Nexe from Croatia, Spanish team Abanca Ademar León and Serbian side RK Partizan Admiralbet facing off.

The top two sides in each group will progress to the main round, where the 16 teams will be divided into four groups of four teams each. Then, the winner of each group progresses to the quarter-finals, while the second and third placed sides head to the play-offs.

The play-offs are scheduled for 31 March and 7 April, while the quarter-finals will be played on 28 April and 5 May. The EHF Finals Men will take place in Hamburg on 30 and 31 May 2026.

Photo credit: SG Flensburg-Handewitt