One month to go to the EHF Beach Handball Champions Cup

1. The defending champions

Back-to-back defending champions The Danish Beachhandball Dream retained their crown in the women's competition in 2024, and they are out to make it a trio of titles, beginning their challenge in group A. On the men's side, GRD Leça – Spar from Portugal snatched the men's title a year ago to prevent 2023 winners Rødby Beach Boys from matching the record of their Danish compatriots. The Portuguese side will also be the team to beat in group A.

However, neither team reached their highest level at the latest edition of the ebt Finals in June this year. The Danish Beachhandball Dream were only sixth in the women's competition, while GRD Leça – Spar didn't fare much better in the men's, finishing fifth, proving both sides are beatable in 2025.

2. Groups set

Speaking of the groups, the 16 men's and 16 women's teams begin their respective tournaments divided into four groups of four.

Men's competition

GROUP A

GRD Leça – Spar (POR)
SPR Purina Kąty Wrocławskie (POL)
Lund Beachhandball Club (SWE)
Rotterdam Handbal (NED)

GROUP B

Fundación Fomento Deporte CBMP Ciudad de Málaga (ESP)
Aarhus Beach (DEN)
Ligue Nouvelle Aquitaine Handball (FRA)
VRT Lemar (POR)

GROUP C

12 Monkeys Köln BHC (GER)
Nazaré BHT (POR)
Hiekka Hauskaa (NED)
Green Cobras BHC (HUN)

GROUP D

Hír-Sat BHC (HUN)
BHC Dubrava (CRO)
London Beach Handball (GBR)
Rødby Beach Boys (DEN)

Women's competition

GROUP A

The Danish Beach Handball Dream (DEN)
Ligue Nouvelle Aquitaine Handball (FRA)
BHT Byczki Kowalewo Pomorskie (POL)
London GD (GBR)

GROUP B

Caipiranhas Bartenbach (GER)
Red Velvet BHC Aqvital (HUN)
Copaca – Balerina (SUI)
MKS Ochota Warszawa (POL)

GROUP C

Fundación Fomento Deporte CBMP Ciudad de Málaga (ESP)
BHC Dubrava (CRO)
Olympia Beach Handball (GBR)
Fortitudo BH (POR)

GROUP D

Copenhagen Beach (DEN)
GRD Leça Love Tiles (POR)
Beach Unicorns Hanover (GER)
OVB Beach Girls BHC (HUN)

3. Venue

For the fourth time, the event takes place on the beautiful island of Porto Santo, Madeira, which first hosted the competition in 2022. The EHF Beach Handball Champions Cup has grown into a high-quality sport event, filled with high-stakes matches and intense battles that, this year, will fire up the sand from 16 to 19 October with the best beach handball clubs in Europe on show.

The Champions Cup keeps coming back to Porto Santo, as previous editions have proven the location is ideal for an autumn beach handball tournament, with the ocean beach and good weather providing perfect playing and viewing conditions.

4. History

First taking place in 2014, the EHF Beach Handball Champions Cup has quickly established itself as a staple of the beach handball season, with the 2025 edition the 11th in the event's history. The first four (2014-2017) were held in Las Palmas, Spain, before Catania, Italy took over hosting duties for the next two. 

The Covid-19 pandemic meant the 2020 competition was not held, before the Champions Cup returned in 2021 in Isola delle Femmine, Sicily, Italy. Since then, Porto Santo has seen Europe's best gather together on the sand, with the final event traditionally held at the beginning of October

5. Race for the EHF Excellence Awards

It's not only the Champions Cup trophy the players are fighting for in Porto Santo; they want to put in their best performances to give themselves a chance in the battle to be named in the All-star Team of the tournament, and consequently the EHF Excellence Awards. The beach handball MVPs of the season will be revealed after the event.

Last year, Ricardo Castro and Meike Kruijer were the winners in the men's and women's categories, respectively, while Spanish legend Asun Batista and Portuguese youngster Gabriel Conceição won the Beach Handball MVP titles at the EHF Excellence Awards 2023.