Draw sets stage for Men's EHF EURO 2028 Qualifiers

EHF EURO 2026 silver medallists Germany will face Italy, Belgium and Slovakia on the first steps in their bid to go one better in 2028. Bronze medallists Croatia are drawn against the Netherlands, Lithuania and Finland.

Meanwhile 2024 champions France have Poland, Romania and Latvia ahead in the qualification stage.

Austria and Türkiye, the Faroe Islands and Kosovo, and Poland and Romania, will play each other once again after meeting in the EHF EURO 2026 Qualifiers.

Men’s EHF EURO 2028 Qualifiers

Group 1: Croatia, Netherlands, Lithuania, Finland
Group 2: Norway, Austria, Georgia, Türkiye
Group 3: Iceland, Serbia, Ukraine, Estonia
Group 4: Hungary, Faroe Islands, Montenegro, Kosovo
Group 5: Slovenia, Czechia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel
Group 6: France, Poland, Romania, Latvia
Group 7: Germany, Italy, Belgium, Slovakia
Group 8: Sweden, North Macedonia, Greece, Luxembourg

Progression to the final tournament

After the conclusion of the group matches, an overall standing of the third-ranked teams in each qualifiers group will be established. This ranking includes only the results of the four matches of third-ranked teams against the two teams ranked first and second in the group. The results of the two matches against the teams ranked fourth in the group will not be considered.

Up to a maximum of four lowest-ranked teams of the fourth-ranked teams in the Men’s EHF EURO 2028 Qualifiers are relegated to the promotion round for the Men’s EHF EURO 2030.

The Men’s EHF EURO 2028 is scheduled to take place between 13 and 30 January 2028 and will feature 24 teams battling for the coveted trophy. Four of the final tournament participants are already known, as reigning champions Denmark and the three host nations — Spain, Portugal and Switzerland — will not take part in the qualification and will play the Men’s EHF EURO Cup 2028 instead.

The first two rounds of the Qualifiers take place in November this year, before continuing in March and May 2027. At the same time, the three hosts and reigning champions Denmark will play the Men's EHF EURO Cup 2028.

Men’s EHF EURO 2028 Qualifiers / Men’s EHF EURO Cup 2028 playing schedule

Round 1: Wednesday 4 – Thursday 5 November 2026
Round 2: Saturday 7 – Sunday 8 November 2026
Round 3: Wednesday 10 – Thursday 11 March 2027
Round 4: Saturday 13 – Sunday 13 March 2027
Round 5: Wednesday 5 – Thursday 6 May 2027
Round 6: Sunday 9 May 2027 (18:00 CEST / the last round match of the Men’s EHF EURO Qualifiers will be played at a unified throw-off time)

Four handball stars assisted with the draw. Retired Danish star Jesper Nøddesbo said it was an “incredible experience” watching Denmark win the Men’s EHF EURO 2026 in Herning in January. Nøddesbo added that he thought Denmark would have a good chance of defending their title in two years’ time.

Mehdi Ben Romdhane of Switzerland said he was looking forward to playing in front of friends and family in Zurich.

“I think we have a young team with a lot of talent,” Ben Romdhane said, adding: “Over the few years now I think we take more experience, and I hope that will help us in 2028.”

Spain’s Javier Rodríguez said: “We have a good team, in my opinion. We have a lot of young people but also with a lot of talent. I think we have a lot of chances in this big tournament. Playing at home is always so special, and playing in front of your family and friends is incredible.”

And Portuguese player Rui Silva said a lot of work had gone into Portugal’s recent success at major tournaments, including a historic fifth place at the EHF EURO 2026. He added that he hoped the home support would propel them even further in the tournament.

Portuguese Handball Federation president Miguel Laranjeiro promised “the best indoor event in living memory in Portugal”, with plenty of fans and visibility for the final tournament.

The draw event also featured an introduction to the host nations and the venues which will host the final tournament: Zurich in Switzerland, Lisbon in Portugal, and Madrid and Valencia in Spain.

Watch the draw event

Photos © kolektiff images