2025–26 EHF European League

EHF European League
2025–26
The EHF Finals will be played at the Barclays Arena in Hamburg, Germany.
Tournament information
SportHandball
DateQualification round:
30 August – 7 September 2025
Group stage:
14 October – 2 December 2025
Main round:
17 February – 10 March 2026
Knockout stage:
31 March – 5 May 2026
Final Four:
30–31 May 2026
Tournament
format(s)
Round Robin and Knockout stage
TeamsQualification round: 24[a]
Group stage: 32[b]
Knockout stage: 12
Total: 44 (from 18 countries)
WebsiteEHF European League

The 2025–26 EHF European League was the 45th season of Europe's secondary club handball tournament organised by European Handball Federation (EHF), and the 6th season since it was renamed from the EHF Cup to the EHF European League.

The defending champions are SG Flensburg-Handewitt, having won their second consecutive and third overall title.

Format

  • Qualification Round: 24 teams will be drawn into 12 different home and away ties. The 12 winners will advance to the group stage.
  • Group Stage: The 20 teams already qualified along with the 12 winners of the qualification round will be drawn into 8 groups of 4 teams each, where they will play in a double round-robin format. The top 2 teams in each group will progress to the main round. Teams from the same country can't be drawn into the same group.
  • Main Round: The 16 group winners and runners-up will be placed in 4 groups of 4 teams each where they will play a single round-robin. The winners will advance directly to the quarterfinals, while 2nd and 3rd placed teams will qualify for the play-offs.
  • Play-offs: The 2nd and 3rd placed teams from each group in the main round will play in 4 different home and away ties. The winners will progress to the quarterfinals.
  • Quarter-finals: The main round group winners will face a play-off winner to determine who makes it to the European League finals.
  • EL finals: They will be played in a Final 4 format similar to the Champions League.

Rankings

The rankings are based on the performances of each club from a respective country from a three year period.

  • Associations 1–2 can have four clubs qualify.
  • Associations 3–9 can have three clubs qualify.
  • Associations 10–18 can have two clubs qualify.
  • Associations below the top 18 are allowed to enter apply one club for a potential wildcard.

Ranking facts

Qualified teams

The full list of teams qualified for each stage of the 2024–25 EHF European League was announced on 8 July 2025.[2][3]

The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:

  • CW: Cup winners
  • CR: Cup runners-up
  • 4th, 5th, etc.: League position of the previous season
Group stage
Germany MT Melsungen (3rd) Germany THW Kiel (4th) Germany SG Flensburg-Handewitt EL (5th) Portugal FC Porto (2nd)
Portugal SL Benfica (3rd) France Montpellier Handball (3rd) France Fenix Toulouse (4th) Croatia RK Nexe (2nd)
Denmark Fredericia HK (3rd)[c] Switzerland Kadetten Schaffhausen (1st) Spain Fraikin BM Granollers (2nd) Spain Abanca Ademar León (6th, CR)
Sweden IFK Kristianstad (2nd)[d] Poland REBUD KPR Ostrovia Ostrów Wielkopolski (3rd) Romania AHC Potaissa Turda (2nd) Slovenia RD LL Grosist Slovan (1st)
North Macedonia HC Vardar 1961 (2nd) Hungary FTC-Green Collect (3rd) Iceland Knattspyrnufélagið Fram (1st) Slovakia Tatran Prešov (1st)
Qualification round
Germany TSV Hannover-Burgdorf (6th) Portugal Maritimo da Madeira Andebol SAD (4th) Portugal ABC de Braga Lusíadas Saúde (5th) France Saint-Raphael Var Handball (5th)
Croatia MRK Sesvete (3rd) Croatia MRK Čakovec (4th) Croatia MRK Dugo Selo (1st,[e] CR) Denmark Mors-Thy Håndbold (4th)[f]
Denmark SAH - Skanderborg (5th, CR)[g] Switzerland BSV Bern (2nd) Switzerland HC Kriens-Luzern (3rd, CW) Spain Bathco BM Torrelavega (3rd)
Spain Irudek Bidasoa Irún (4th) Sweden HK Malmö (3rd)[h] Sweden HF Karlskrona (4th)[i] Sweden IK Sävehof (5th)[j]
Poland KGHM Chrobry Głogów (5th) Romania CS Minaur Baia Mare (4th) Slovenia RK Gorenje Velenje (2nd) North Macedonia HC Alkaloid EC (3rd)
Iceland Stjarnan (7th) Norway Elverum Håndball (2nd) Serbia RK Partizan WC SPL (1st) Czech Republic HCB Karvina WC SPL (1st)
  • EL: European League title holders
  • EC: European Cup title holders
  • WC: Accepted Wildcard
  • SPL: Special Play Off teams

Round and draw dates

Schedule

Phase Round Draw date Round date[5]
Qualification round First leg 15 July 2025 30–31 August 2025
Second leg 6–7 September 2025
Group stage Matchday 1 18 July 2025 14 October 2025
Matchday 2 21 October 2025
Matchday 3 11 November 2025
Matchday 4 18 November 2025
Matchday 5 25 November 2025
Matchday 6 2 December 2025
Main Round Matchday 7 17 February 2026
Matchday 8 24 February 2026
Matchday 9 3 March 2026
Matchday 10 10 March 2026
Play offs First leg no draw 31 March 2026
Second leg 7 April 2026
Quarterfinals First leg 28 April 2026
Second leg 5 May 2026
Final four Semi-finals TBD 30 May 2026
Final and Third place game 31 May 2026

Qualification round

Main article: 2025–26 EHF European League qualification round

The draw for the qualification round was conducted on 15 July 2025 in Vienna, Austria.[6][7] The eleven winners on aggregate advanced to the group stage. The first legs will be held on 30 to 31 August 2025 while the second legs will be held on 6–7 September 2025.


Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
TSV Hannover-Burgdorf Germany – North Macedonia HC Alkaloid – –
Mors-Thy Håndbold Denmark – France Saint-Raphael Var Handball – –
RK Gorenje Velenje Slovenia – Switzerland HC Kriens-Luzern – –
Irudek Bidasoa Irún Spain – Portugal ABC de Braga Lusíadas Saúde – –
KGHM Chrobry Głogów Poland – Sweden HF Karlskrona – –
CS Minaur Baia Mare Romania – Iceland Stjarnan – –
IK Sävehof Sweden – Sweden HK Malmö – –
MRK Dugo Selo Croatia – Croatia MRK Sesvete – –
Elverum Håndball Norway – Spain Bathco BM Torrelavega – –
BSV Bern Switzerland – Croatia MRK Čakovec – –
SAH - Skanderborg Denmark – Portugal Maritimo da Madeira Andebol SAD – –

Special Qualification Play off

Unlike the other Play offs, the losers of this tie will drop down to the European Cup.

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
RK Partizan Serbia – Czech Republic HCB Karviná – –

Group stage

Main article: 2025–26 EHF European League group stage
Location of teams of the 2025–26 EHF European League group stage
Brown: Group A; Red: Group B; Orange: Group C; Yellow: Group D;
Green: Group E; Blue: Group F; Purple: Group G; Pink: Group H

The draw for the group stage was conducted on 18 July 2025 at the EHF office in Vienna.

In the group stage, teams were ranked according to points (2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). After completion of the group stage, if two or more teams have scored the same number of points, the ranking will be determined as follows:

Tiebreakers
  1. Highest number of points in matches between the teams directly involved;
  2. Superior goal difference in matches between the teams directly involved;
  3. Highest number of goals scored in matches between the teams directly involved;
  4. Superior goal difference in all matches of the group;
  5. Highest number of plus goals in all matches of the group;
  6. Drawing of Lots

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification FLE POT ADE LUZ
1 Germany SG Flensburg-Handewitt 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Main Round — – – –
2 Romania AHC Potaissa Turda 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — – –
3 Winner of Play Off 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – – — –
4 Winner of Play Off 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – – – —
First match(es) will be played: 14 October. Source: EHF

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification MON OST KIE LUZ
1 France Montpellier Handball 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Main Round — – – –
2 Poland REBUD KPR Ostrovia Ostrów Wielkopolski 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — – –
3 Germany THW Kiel 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – – — –
4 Play Off Winner 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – – – —
First match(es) will be played: 14 October. Source: EHF

Group C

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification GRA SLO ADE LUZ
1 Spain Fraikin BM Granollers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Main Round — – – –
2 Slovenia RD LL Grosist Slovan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — – –
3 Play Off Winner 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – – — –
4 Play Off Winner 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – – – —
Source: EHF

Group D

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification POR FRA ADE LUZ
1 Portugal FC Porto 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Main Round — – – –
2 Iceland Knattspyrnufélagið Fram 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — – –
3 Play Off Winner 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – – — –
4 Play Off Winner 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – – – —
Source: EHF

Group E

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification MEL FTC BEN LUZ
1 Germany MT Melsungen 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Main Round — – – –
2 Hungary FTC-Green Collect 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — – –
3 Portugal SL Benfica 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – – — –
4 Play Off Winner 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
Source: EHF

Group F

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification KRI VAR FEN PO 8
1 Sweden IFK Kristianstad 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Main Round — – – –
2 North Macedonia HC Vardar 1961 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — – –
3 France Fenix Toulouse 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – – — –
4 Croatia Play Off Winner 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – – – —
Source: EHF

Group G

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification FRE TAT PO1 PO7
1 Denmark Fredericia HK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Main Round — – – –
2 Slovakia Tatran Prešov 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — – –
3 Play Off Winner 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – – — –
4 Sweden Play Off Winner 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – – – —
Source: EHF

Group H

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification KAD NEX ADE LUZ
1 Switzerland Kadetten Schaffhausen 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Main Round — – – –
2 Croatia RK Nexe 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — – –
3 Spain Abanca Ademar León 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – – — –
4 Special Play Off winner 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – – – —
Source: EHF

Notes

  1. ^ From 17 countries.
  2. ^ From 17 or 18 nations
  3. ^ To decide Denmark's representatives, the regular season standings are used.
  4. ^ To decide Sweden's representatives, the regular season standings are used.
  5. ^ RK Dugo Selo won the second divsion last season.[4]
  6. ^ To decide Denmark's representatives, the regular season standings are used.
  7. ^ To decide Denmark's representatives, the regular season standings are used.
  8. ^ To decide Sweden's representatives, the regular season standings are used.
  9. ^ To decide Sweden's representatives, the regular season standings are used.
  10. ^ To decide Sweden's representatives, the regular season standings are used.

See also

References

  1. ^ Place distribution for 2025/26 eurohandball.com
  2. ^ https://ehfel.eurohandball.com/men/2025-26/news/en/ehf-european-league-202526-seeding-set/
  3. ^ List of teams
  4. ^ https://www.24sata.hr/sport/rukometna-bajka-dugog-sela-izborili-smo-prvu-ligu-europu-i-finale-kupa-cestitao-je-i-kuzma-1051944
  5. ^ Schedule
  6. ^ "Qualification Round draw sets route to European League group matches". www.eurohandball.com.
  7. ^ "Teams to discover European League Men fate in group matches draw". www.eurohandball.com.
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