Live blog: Pressure mounts as Slovenia face Hungary in semi-final

• coverage of the Men's 20 EHF EURO 2026 semi-finals
• Sweden secured their seat to the final after defeating Denmark 38:35 (17:14)
• Slovenia and Hungary meet in the second semi-final starting at 18:30 CEST
• cross matches during the afternoon and evening will help classify the rest of the teams
• check out where to watch the games; all matches live on EHFTV (geo-restrictions may apply)
• follow the official EHF EURO channels on Facebook, Instagram and X for exclusive content
• photos © Federatia Romana de Handbal/FRH

FRIDAY 17 JULY

15:50

The clock is ticking, so make sure you are all set for the upcoming semi-finals! Here's a complete guide on how to stay updated with the Men's 20 EHF EURO 2026 action.

15:40

Slovenia eliminated defending champions Spain in the quarter-finals, and now prepare to face Hungary in the semi-final at 18:30 CEST.

This generation of Hungarian talents made it to the podium at the Men’s 18 EHF EURO 2024, clinching bronze — fuelling their ambitions this year, despite the nation having never won the M20 competition.

In contrast, Slovenia lifted the M20 trophy on home soil back in 2018 and have since been trying to replicate that success. Celje’s Aljuš Anžic stands out in the Slovenian line-up with 52 goals to his name so far and as a key player for the side.

15:31

While we’re on the subject of impressive goalkeeping, let’s analyse the upcoming clash.

Sweden's Viggo Håkansson stunned in the quarter-finals against France with 22 saves at 53 per cent efficiency, and he might raise important issues for the Danish squad today as well.

These generations have also met at the Men’s 18 EHF EURO 2024, when the two sides clashed in the final — back then, it was Sweden who celebrated the trophy with a narrow 37:36 victory after overtime, while counting on Håkansson between the posts.

However, Denmark are hunting their fifth title in the M20 competition, while Sweden have only celebrated two silver medals so far. Have Denmark learnt from the 2024 final? Or will history repeat itself?

15:23

And the show between the posts got even more exciting with some spectacular saves by the goalkeepers!

15:13

Over the years, the Men’s 20 EHF EURO has been a launchpad for some of Europe’s biggest handball stars — such as Melvyn Richardson, Johannes Golla, Magnus Saugstrup or Kay Smits, to name a few — who used this opportunity to build a name for themselves.

And this generation seems just as talented, as you can see from the top goals of the quarter-finals and cross matches!

15:00

Good afternoon and welcome to the live coverage of the Men’s 20 EHF EURO semi-finals! The Younger Age Category summer is in full swing, and the under-20 squads have already stolen the show on Europe’s biggest stages.

The competition got underway with 24 teams on 8 July, but only four are still in contention for the coveted trophy — Sweden, Denmark, Slovenia and Hungary all came through yesterday’s electrifying quarter-finals.

Before we dive deep into today’s games, take a look at the review of the previous stage.