The 2026 EHF European Women's Handball Championship, commonly referred to as the EHF EURO 2026, will be the 17th edition of the EHF European Women's Handball Championship.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host countries |  Czech Republic Poland Romania Slovakia Turkey |
| Venue(s) | 6 (in 6 host cities) |
| Dates | 3–20 December |
| Teams | 24 (from 1 confederation) |
The championship was originally scheduled to be held in Russia, but due to the invasion of Ukraine, they were stripped of the hosting rights.[1] On 8 March 2024, the EHF announced Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey as co-hosts.[2]
Bid process
editFirst bidding process
editBids
editOn 11 May 2021 it was announced that the following nations sent in an official expression of interest:[3]
On 20 October the final bids were presented. The Scandinavian bid was withdrawn, leaving Russia unopposed.[4][5]
Host selection
editAs only the Russian bid remained it was unanimously selected at the 14th EHF Extraordinary Congress on 20 November 2021.[6][7]
Second bidding process
editOn 4 July 2023, the EHF confirmed that Russia would not host the event due to the war in Ukraine,[8] and thus reopened the bidding process. On 25 October, the EHF announced the official bids.
Czech Republic and 
Poland
Romania and 
Slovakia
Turkey
The hosts were originally going to be announced on 28 January 2024 in Cologne, but the EHF decided to delay the announcement to April while also inviting every bidding nation to a meeting in mid-February.[9]
During the meeting in mid-February, Romanian media reported that a possible five-country co-hosting plan was being negotiated by all five bidding countries and the EHF after it was reported that none of the three bids fulfilled all the requirements.[10]
On 8 March 2024, the EHF announced all five countries, Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey, as co-hosts.[2] This marks the second time a sports tournament has been held in more than four countries, after UEFA Euro 2020.
Venues
edit| Katowice
|
Oradea
| |
|---|---|---|
| Spodek Capacity: 11,036 |
Oradea Arena Capacity: 5,500 | |
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| |
| Brno |
Cluj-Napoca
| |
| Arena Brno Capacity: 12,000 |
BTarena Capacity: 10,000 | |
 |
| |
| Bratislava |
Antalya
| |
| Ondrej Nepela Arena Capacity: 10,000 |
Antalya Arena Capacity: 10,000 | |
 |
 Katowice will host preliminary round, main round and knockout stage. Cluj-Napoca will host preliminary round and main round. Brno, Bratislava, Oradea and Antalya will host preliminary round only.
|
|
Qualification
editQualified teams
edit| Country | Qualified as | Date qualification was secured | Previous appearances in tournament1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic |
Co-hosts | 8 March 2024 | 8 (1994, 2002, 2004, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2024) |
| Poland |
9 (1996, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024) | ||
| Romania |
15 (1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024) | ||
| Slovakia |
3 (1994, 2014, 2024) | ||
| Turkey |
1 (2024) |
- 1 Bold indicates champion for that year.
References
edit- ^ Mackay, Duncan (4 July 2023). "Russia stripped of 2026 European Women's Handball Championships". Inside the Games. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
- ^ a b "Organisers for Women's EHF EURO 2026 confirmed". EHF. European Handball Federation. 8 March 2024.
- ^ "Seven nations bid for EHF Euros in 2026 and 2028". European Handball Federation. 11 May 2021. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ "Россия – единственный кандидат на проведение женского Евро-2026". Handball Federation of Russia. 20 October 2021.
- ^ "Schweiz bündelt Kräfte mit Spanien und Portugal: Ausrichter für Handball-Europameisterschaften zeichnen sich ab". handball world (in German). 20 October 2021. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ^ "EHF EURO hosts for 2026 & 2028 confirmed". European Handball Federation. 20 November 2021. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ "The 14th EHF Extraordinary Congress". European Handball Federation. 20 November 2021. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ "EHF seeks alternative host for Women's EHF EURO 2026". EHF. 4 July 2023.
- ^ Popovici, Marian (27 January 2024). "România, în pole position pentru a organiza Euro 2026 la handbal feminin! Ce decizie a luat EHF". Fanatik.ro.
- ^ "Campionatul European din 2026 la handbal feminin ar putea fi organizat în cinci țări". GSP.ro. 12 February 2024.