Following the decisions of the EHF Executive Committee in 2026, the 2027/28 season will introduce new playing systems across the women’s club competitions. The EHF Champions League Women will continue with 16 teams under a revised format, while the EHF European League Women will expand from 16 to 24 participants, also operating under a new playing system. The EHF European Cup Women remains unchanged.
In line with these adjustments, the place distribution for the EHF Champions League and EHF European League has been adapted.
EHF Champions League Women 2027/28
The new playing system will see the 16 teams divided into four groups of four. The number of federations with a fixed place in the competition remains unchanged, with nine federations retaining one place each: Hungary, France, Denmark, Romania, Germany, Croatia, Norway, Slovenia and Montenegro.
Following Metz Handball’s title-winning 2025/26 season, France have moved up one position in the rankings and are currently second, just below Hungary. CSM Bucuresti’s bronze medal in 2025/26 has helped Romania climb to fourth place, with Germany also moving up by one to fifth.
One additional place is allocated to the best-seeded federation of the EHF European League. A total of six places remain available for upgrades.
EHF European League Women 2027/28
With the competition expanding to 24 teams and no qualification phase to be played, 28 places are designated as the starting framework for the competition.
Seven of these teams will move from the EHF European League to the EHF Champions League — six upgrades, alongside one place for the best seeded federation of the EHF European League.
Two places are reserved for upgrades to the EHF European League for lower ranked federations in order to ensure accessibility and competitive balance. One final place will be allocated as a wild card, completing the 24-club line-up.
The top six federations have three places available each, with some of their teams eligible to request an upgrade to the EHF Champions League. JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball’s 2025/26 triumph helped France take first place in the rankings, ahead of Germany, Romania, Denmark, Norway and Hungary.
