Denmark and Germany meet again — with EHF EURO title at stake

After losing the final against France at the EHF EURO 2024, Denmark will have another go at the title when they face Germany for the second time at the 2026 edition. The finalists played each other in the main round just six days ago.

16 years after their first bronze EHF EURO medal, Iceland have the opportunity to match this result on Sunday, but they will have to overcome Croatia, who target their seventh piece of EURO silverware overall. The two teams also faced each other earlier this week in the main round.

FINAL

Denmark vs Germany

Sunday 1 February, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV
H2H: 12-2-9

• one team will win their third EHF EURO trophy: Denmark were the victors in 2008 and 2012, while Germany raised the trophy in 2004 and 2016
• Denmark have the chance to become the second men’s team, after France in 2010, to hold all major titles — Olympic Games, World Championship and EHF EURO — at the same time
• both teams won their semi-finals with the same result: 31:28; Denmark against Iceland and Germany against Croatia
• it is Germany’s first EHF EURO final since 2016 and their first medal at the European Championship since then; including 2002, it is Germany’s fourth final on the European stage
• Denmark lost their last two EHF EURO finals, in 2014 in Herning and in 2024 in Cologne, both times against France; the Scandinavian side play their fifth EHF EURO final

• three of the EHF EURO 2016 champions are still in the German squad: Andreas Wolff, Rune Dahmke and Jannik Kohlbacher, while Rasmus Lauge is the only Dane who was on court when they won gold in 2012
• Andreas Wolff will become Germany’s sole record holder for number of EHF EURO matches, with 42 games, passing Klaus-Dieter Petersen (41) on their all-time ranking
• when Germany became EHF EURO champions for the first time in 2004, they beat the hosts, Slovenia, in the final
• Denmark won their first of now four consecutive World Championship trophies in Herning in 2019
• since their main round duel in 2016, Germany have not won any official match against Denmark, losing seven in a row, including the 31:26 result in the main round of this EHF EURO
• in their long indoor handball match history since 1939, two defeats against Denmark, in 2024 and 2025, ended with the highest number of goals ever conceded by Germany: The Olympic final in Lille 39:26 and 40:30 at the 2025 World Championship — in Herning
• their last big battle at the EHF EURO was the 2024 semi-final in Cologne, which the Danes won 29:26

• Denmark’s only defeat at this final tournament was the 31:29 result against Portugal in the preliminary round
• when Germany became EHF EURO champions in 2016, the only match they lost before was against Spain, whom they later beat in the final; this time around, they were defeated only by Denmark and Serbia
• 10 players from the Denmark squad play for German clubs, including five from SG Flensburg-Handewitt; on the other hand, Juri Knorr plays for Danish side Aalborg Håndbold and is the only German not playing for a German club
• Alfred Gislason can become the second Icelander to steer Germany to the EHF EURO winners’ podium, after current Croatia coach Dagur Sigurdsson in 2016
• Nikolaj Jacobsen has secured his ninth medal as Denmark head coach, since 2019
• Mathias Gidsel is the current top scorer of the event with 61 strikes; if he scores five more, he will become the record holder for most goals at a single EHF EURO tournament, passing Sander Sagosen, who scored 65 in 2020
• Denmark can become the second host in Men’s EHF EURO history to win gold, after Sweden in 2002 — coincidentally, beating Germany in the final

BRONZE-MEDAL MATCH

Iceland vs Croatia

Sunday 1 February, 15:15 CET, live on EHFTV
H2H: 2-1-12

• Iceland lost against Denmark, 31: 28, in the semi-finals, despite back Janus Daði Smárason scoring eight goals
• Croatia lost their semi-final on Friday to Germany, also 31:28, with goalkeeper Dominik Kuzmanović making seven saves
• the teams played each other in the main round, with Croatia taking the two points and serving Iceland their first defeat of the EHF EURO 2026
• neither side has won the EHF EURO before: Iceland finished third in 2010, while Croatia played the final in 2008, 2010 and 2020 and also most recently won the bronze medal in 2016
• Iceland goalkeeper Björgvin Páll Gústavsson was in the squad when Iceland won bronze at the EHF EURO 2010, along with coach Snorri Steinn Guðjónsson and assistant coach Arnór Atlason
• Ivan Martinović has scored 35 goals across the eight games Croatia played at the EHF EURO 2026, while Ómar Ingi Magnússon has netted 43 times to lead for Iceland
• a medal would be the second in one year for Croatia, after the silver at the 2025 IHF World Championship
• Iceland have not won a medal in an international competition since the bronze at the EHF EURO 2010

Photos © kolektiff images/Uros Hocevar/Jozo Cabraja/Anze Malovrh