What is the EHF Beach Handball Championship 2026?
The EHF Beach Handball Championship 2026 serves as a qualification tournament for the EHF Beach Handball EURO 2027. This year, 11 men’s and 13 women’s teams will start their road to the EURO, hoping to clinch one of the eight and nine places available, respectively.
In 2024, Poland (men’s) and Hungary (women’s) climbed to the top step of the podium and were among the nations that secured their participation in the EHF Beach Handball EURO 2025, and are now hoping for another successful campaign.
When and where is the EHF Beach Handball Championship 2026 taking place?
The EHF Beach Handball Championship 2026 will be played between 9 and 12 July at the Jarun Sports and Recreation Centre in Zagreb, Croatia.
It is the third major EHF beach handball event organised and hosted by Croatia, following the EHF Beach Handball EUROs in 2011 in Umag and 2017 in Zagreb.
What is the tournament format?
The 11 men’s teams have been divided into two groups for the preliminary round — group A comprising six sides and group B featuring four. The top four teams in each group advance to the quarter-finals, while the others will play a consolation round to determine the rest of the rankings.
The winners of each quarter-final pair will reach the semi-finals, with the finals on 9 July determining the podium.
For the women’s competition, the 13 teams have been seeded into three groups — group A featuring five teams, while groups B and C include four each. The top two teams in each group and the two best third-ranked sides will qualify for the quarter-finals, while the remaining five nations will play a consolation round.
The quarter-finals will decide the four semi-finalists, while the medallists are set to be revealed on 9 July.
