Live blog: Barça vs Berlin — 2025/26 final begins
Here we go — the day to decide the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2025/26 trophy has arrived! It has been a long road from the first matches of the season at the start of September, and now it's Barça and Füchse Berlin left standing in the title race. The final is live right now in LANXESS arena, Cologne.
The TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2026 action opened with the 3/4 placement match, which saw SC Magdeburg claim a commanding win over Aalborg Håndbold to lock up their first third-place finish at the event.
This live blog is here to guide you through every minute of the last day of the season — both in the EHF Champions League Men and overall, with this being the final competition to conclude.
Minute-by-minute coverage of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2025/26 finals. Final: Barça vs Füchse Berlin live now
13:38
Back to the final and the guy looking to claim his second straight top scorer crown today: Mathias Gidsel.
Gidsel's nine goals in the semi-final took him to 153 in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2025/26 — an absolutely unmatched feat. No one has passed the 150-goal mark in a single season before.
In general, Gidsel's scoring record is unique. He has been the top scorer of every major national team championship since 2023:
- twice at the World Championship — 2023 and 2025
- twice at the EHF EURO — 2024, joint with Martim Costa, and 2026, when he broke Sander Sagosen's record for most goals in a single EURO
- the 2024 Olympic Games
Last year he added his first of this individual title in the EHF Champions League Men, and with Barça wing Aleix Gómez — the closest player still in the competition — on 111, waiting for the final whistle today is all but a formality.
13:22
As the Youth Club Trophy final comes to an end with GOG defending the trophy thanks to a 32:26 win over Füchse Berlin's U18 side, anticipation around LANXESS arena is rising. SC Magdeburg and Aalborg Håndbold have arrived for the 3/4 placement match, starting at 15:00 CEST.
For Aalborg, it is the first time playing the 3/4 placement game, as they won the two their semi-finals played prior to this weekend.
For Magdeburg, it is the second participation in this match, which they lost to THW Kiel in 2024.
12:22
Speaking of players targeting their first trophies, for two, today's final holds the chance to complete their collection and add themselves to the elusive list who have won everything there is to win in handball: Berlin's Lasse Andersson and Mathias Gidsel.
Given the results of national team competitions in recent years, here meaning the career span of current players, the only individuals with such a chance must be either Danish or French.
On Barça's side, there are four who have already celebrated every trophy in the game: The French trio Dika Mem, Timothey N'Guessan and Ludovic Fabregas, and Dane Emil Nielsen.
Andersson will depart Berlin at the end of this season and hopes to say farewell with the trophy. For Gidsel, it's about the hunger to complete his collection.
Below, read a feature on Andersson's farewell to Füchse.
11:49
Over to Füchse's side, most of the players are targeting their first trophies.
There is one standout exception in more than one way: Former Barça player Aitor Ariño, who is among the all-time leaders for titles won in the EHF Champions League Men. Ariño raised five trophies with Füchse's rivals for Sunday's final, before moving to Berlin in what is his first venture abroad and only the second club in his career.
Two keys at Berlin's defensive end in particular, the Serbian duo of goalkeeper Dejan Milosavljev and Mijajlo Marsenic, count one trophy each. Both won with Vardar, but in different years — Marsenic in 2017; Milosavljev in 2019.
Below, find a feature with Marsenic published ahead of last season's TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4, in which he talks about the role of Berlin's defence and Milosavljev. This thought feels particularly relevant today:
"We both know our importance for the team, as every player knows his exact role. And it is not only the number of saves, but the saves in the psychologically right moments, which decide a match. And our goalkeepers are experts in this."
11:28
11 EHF Champions League trophies for Barça as a club, but what about the individuals?
Coach Carlos Ortega has a chance to extend his own leading record of eight titles (six as a player; two as coach) today, and several players have the chance to add to their own counts.
Aleix Gómez, Dika Mem, Timothey N'Guessan, Luís Frade, Blaz Janc and Domen Makuc have all won three with Barça.
Ludovic Fabregas has won three as well, but his first was with Montpellier HB and he was not part of Barça's squad in 2024 due to a two-year stint at Veszprém before he returned to the Spanish powerhouse.
Several players who took their first title with Barça in 2024 could win their second today: Emil Nielsen, Jonathan Carlsbogard, Ian Barrufet and the brothers Petar and Djordje Cikuša. Last season, Djordje Cikuša was with Montpellier and fought for the EHF European League title, though he and MHB ultimately lost to Flensburg.
10:48
Before we zero in on what's coming up, take a look back at how the team's reached this point. First, the video highlights of the semi-finals.
Then, check out our special video stories on the two finalists, Barça and Füchse Berlin.
Prefer to read? On Thursday's live blog, I outlined the team's journeys through to the 2025/26 to make it to the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2026. Find it here — and remember you can find all news from the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2025/26 here.
10:30
The big day is here! Today the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2025/26 title will be decided — good morning and welcome to the live blog coverage of finals day.
Two teams with very different stories feature in the final and we will see either an extension of Barça's already dominant record of 11 title or a brand new champion in Füchse Berlin.
Before the final at 18:00 CEST, SC Magdeburg and Aalborg Håndbold meet in the 3/4 placement match.
Below, read the preview of the finals, recap yesterday's action in Cologne, and find out where to watch the games in your country.
