Poland and Hungary Defend Titles at 2026 EHF Beach Handball Championship to Secure EURO 2027 Berths

The European beach handball hierarchy has officially been set for the next cycle following the conclusion of the EHF Beach Handball Championship 2026 in Zagreb, Croatia. After four days of intense competition on the sand at the Jarun Sports and Recreation Centre, familiar faces returned to the top of the podium, with Poland and Hungary defending their respective crowns against a field of hungry challengers. The tournament, which featured 11 men's and 13 women's nations, delivered high-octane action and dramatic finishes, reaffirming the growing popularity and competitive depth of the sport across the continent. For the defending champions, the event was an opportunity to prove that their previous successes were no fluke, while emerging programs viewed the Zagreb showcase as a chance to disrupt the established order and announce their arrival on the international stage.

While the pursuit of gold drove the top contenders, the tournament served a much broader purpose as the definitive qualification pathway for the EHF Beach Handball EURO 2027, which will be hosted in Druskininkai, Lithuania. The stakes extended far beyond the immediate medals, turning every preliminary and placement round into a high-pressure battle for survival. Teams fought fiercely to secure their places in the 16-team continental flagship event next summer, knowing that failure to qualify would mean missing out on the sport's premier European showcase. This dual-layered pressure—chasing a championship while simultaneously fighting to stay above the qualification cutline—created an atmosphere of relentless intensity, where even the matches for seventh or eighth place carried the emotional weight of a tournament final.[1]

In the men's competition, Poland proved entirely untouchable, successfully defending the gold medal they won two years ago and cementing their status as the kings of the qualification circuit. The Polish squad marched through the tournament with a flawless record, winning all eight of their matches and dropping only two sets across the entire four-day campaign. Their tactical discipline, physical endurance, and seamless offensive execution allowed them to systematically dismantle opponents from the group stages all the way to the championship match. By navigating a grueling schedule without suffering a single defeat, Poland sent a clear message to the rest of Europe that the road to the 2027 European Championship title will undoubtedly run through Warsaw.

The men's final saw Poland dispatch a surging Czechia side 2:0, capping off their dominant run with a clinical performance under the lights. Despite the straight-sets loss in the final, Czechia authored one of the tournament's biggest success stories. The Czech squad utilized a Cinderella run to claim the silver medal, overcoming established powerhouses and firmly establishing themselves as a rising power on the sand. Their journey to the final proved that strategic investments in beach handball infrastructure are paying dividends, and their silver-medal finish guarantees them a prime seeding position when they travel to Lithuania next year as a dangerous dark horse.

Poland's collective triumph was heavily bolstered by individual accolades that underscored their defensive mastery throughout the event. Tomasz Kołodziejczyk was named the tournament's best defender, consistently shutting down opposing attacks with perfectly timed blocks, while Krystian Matusiak took home best goalkeeper honors after a string of spectacular performances between the posts. The men's podium was rounded out by the Netherlands, who edged out Norway 2:1 in a tightly contested bronze medal match to secure their own hardware. The Dutch squad relied on timely saves and highly efficient shooting during the decisive shootout to overcome a resilient Norwegian side, ensuring they leave Zagreb with tangible proof of their elite status in the European beach handball landscape.[2]

On the women's side, Hungary completed a remarkable three-peat, defeating France in a thrilling, high-stakes rematch of the 2024 final. The Hungarian squad started strong, taking the first set 17:12 by capitalizing heavily on French offensive struggles. During the opening eight minutes, France shot below 40 percent, allowing Hungary to play a clean, mistake-free game and build an early advantage. France, however, demonstrated their trademark resilience in the second set. Powered by the offensive production of Dorothee Blaise and Taïs Vigouroux, the French attack finally found its rhythm and overwhelmed the Hungarian defense. They built a commanding eight-point lead midway through the period, ultimately taking the set 24:18 and forcing a decisive shootout to determine who would walk away with the championship trophy.

In the high-stakes shootout, Hungarian goalkeeper Dalma Mátéfi emerged as the undisputed hero, saving two crucial French attempts in the first and third rounds to swing the momentum entirely in her team's favor. Nora Nagy-Agoston then calmly converted a one-point attempt to secure a 7:2 shootout victory, sealing Hungary's third consecutive title in the qualification event and sparking wild celebrations on the sand. The women's bronze medal went to Portugal, who bounced back from a tough 2:0 semi-final defeat against France to overcome Ukraine in the third-place match. The Portuguese squad relied on strong, consistent performances from key players like Carolina Lucas and Daniela Mendes to secure their spot on the podium and validate their tactical approach against top-tier European competition.

Beyond the medalists, the placement matches carried immense weight for teams hovering on the qualification bubble, as finishing in the upper half of the standings was the only way to guarantee a trip to Druskininkai. Italy's women's team, for example, secured their ticket to Lithuania by finishing eighth overall. Despite falling to Sweden in their final placement match, their earlier group-stage victories ensured their return to the European Championship for the first time since 2023, joining their already-qualified men's counterparts. With the Zagreb tournament concluded, the 32-team field—comprising 16 men's and 16 women's squads—is now officially locked in. As the sand settles in Croatia, the focus shifts entirely to next summer, where the continent's elite will converge in Lithuania to battle for the ultimate European crown.