This article describes the qualification process for the 2026 European Men's Handball Championship and EHF Euro Cup.
Format Prior to the qualification, four teams were automatically qualified: Denmark, Norway and Sweden as co-hosts; The best-placed team from the 2024 European Men's Handball Championship, other than the 2026 tournament co-hosts.
The remaining eligible teams contested a qualification tournament to determine the teams securing the remaining 20 places in the final tournament. The qualification tournament consisted of three rounds: qualification phase 1, promotion round, and qualification phase 2.
Qualification phase 1: Four teams; Round-robin tournament format; Top-ranked team after all matches played advanced to the promotion round. Promotion round: Six teams: Qualification phase 1 winner, Four of the lowest-ranked fourth-placed teams of the previous cycle qualifiers round, Best European team at the 2023 IHF Emerging Nations Championship; Two-legged tie format; Three aggregate winners advanced to the qualification phase 2. Qualification phase 2: Thirty-two teams: Three promotion round winners Remaining eight teams eliminated in the previous cycle qualifiers round Twenty teams that participated in the 2024 European Championship, but did not qualify directly to the 2026 final tournament Round-robin tournament format: eight groups of four teams; Group winners, group runners-up, and the four best third-placed teams qualified for the final tournament.
Qualification Phase 1 Since only four teams participate in this round, no draw was needed, other than the hosting rights. Although Cyprus had the hosting rights, it declined and the rights moved to Azerbaijan.
Standings
Results All times are local (UTC+4).
Promotion round Six teams participated in this round: the winner of the Phase 1, the four of the lowest-ranked fourth-ranked teams in the 2024 European Men's Handball Championship qualification and the best European team of the 2023 IHF Emerging Nations Championship. The draw took place on 5 July 2023, in Vienna, Austria.
Participating teams Qualification method Team(s) Winner of Qualification Phase 1 Best European team at the 2023 IHF Emerging Nations Championship
Seeding The seeding was announced on 4 July 2023.
Pot 1 Pot 2
Overview Times from November to March are UTC+1, Times in May are UTC+2.
Matches
Luxembourg won 61–60 on aggregate.
Kosovo won 59–45 on aggregate.
Belgium won 66–40 on aggregate.
Qualification Phase 2 Phase 2 was played between November 2024 and May 2025. Like in previous cycles, 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four, to be played as round-robin tournaments. The eight group winners and runners-up qualified for the final tournament, together with the four best third-placed teams, which were determined taking into account only results against top two teams in each group. The draw took place on 21 March 2024 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Participating teams Qualification method Team(s) Participated in the 2024 European Championship Eliminated in Qualification Phase 2 for the 2024 European Championship Promotion round winners Promotion round best loser 1
1 Following another motion, submitted by the competitions department and confirmed by the EXEC, Latvia, as the best-ranked team not yet qualified, received a place in the Men's EHF EURO 2026 Qualifiers Phase 2. This one place was open due to the non-admittance of Russia and Belarus.
Seeding The seeding was announced on 21 February 2024.
Pot 1 Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4
Groups Times from November to March are UTC+1, Times in May are UTC+2.
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
Group 6
Group 7
Group 8
Ranking of third-placed teams The results against the fourth-placed team are omitted.
EHF Euro Cup The EHF Euro Cup is played between the 2026 co-hosts Denmark, Norway and Sweden, plus the champions of the 2024 European Championship, France.
Standings
Results Times from November to March are UTC+1, Times in May are UTC+2.
Qualified teams
TeamQualification methodDate of qualificationAppearance(s)Previous best performanceRankings Host nation 20 November 2021 1994 2024 14 (2008, 2012) 1 2000 11 (2020) 8 1994 10 (1994, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2022) 4 Defending champions 26 January 2024 17 (2006, 2010, 2014, 2024) 2 Top two in Group 3 15 March 2025 2000 14 (2010) 9 Top two in Group 5 15 March 2025 1994 17 (2008, 2010, 2020) 5 Top two in Group 1 6 (2004) 11 Top two in Group 8 16 March 2025 4 (2020) 7 Top two in Group 2 7 May 2025 12 (2024) 6 Top two in Group 5 1996 5 (1996) 17 Top two in Group 7 1994 6 (2004, 2016) 3 Top two in Group 3 8 May 2025 2024 2 (2024) 26 Top two in Group 2 2008 7 (2022) 14 Top two in Group 4 1994 17 (2018, 2020) 10 Top two in Group 6 2024 2 (2024) 21 2020 4 (2022) 12 Top two in Group 7 11 May 2025 2010 5 (2020, 2024) 13 Top two in Group 1 1998 8 (2012) 19 Top two in Group 8 2002 4 (2010) 16 Top two in Group 4 1996 9 (2012) 18 Four best third place teams 1998 1 (1998) 20 1994 2024 2 (1996) 25 2002 2 (2004) 15 2000 2022 1 (2002) 30
Notes
References
External links EHF website