EHF European League 2025/26 seeding set

44 clubs are lined up to start the EHF European League Men 2025/26, including defending title holders SG Flensburg-Handewitt, who will begin their campaign in the group matches.

The title holders in the women’s competition, Thüringer HC, also from Germany, will first see international action in November, when they start in the group phase. A total of 37 teams are set to contest the EHF European League Women 2025/26.

Men’s competition

The men’s competition begins with one qualification round, to be played from 30 August to 7 September 2025 and with the draw on 15 July. 24 teams will contest the qualification round:

• RECKEN - TSV Hannover-Burgdorf (GER)
• Marítimo da Madeira Andebol SAD (POR)
• Bathco BM Torrelavega (ESP)
• Mors-Thy Handball (DEN)
• BSV Bern (SUI)
• HK Malmö (SWE)
• MRK Sesvete (CRO)
• Stjarnan (ISL)
• KGHM Chrobry Glogów (POL)
• RK Gorenje Velenje (SLO)
• ABC De Braga (POR)
• HC Kriens-Luzern (SUI)
• HF Karlskrona (SWE)
• MRK Dugo Selo (CRO)
• Saint-Raphael Var Handball (FRA)
• Irudek Bidasoa Irun (ESP)
• SAH - Skanderborg (DEN)
• MRK Čakovec (CRO)
• IK Sävehof (SWE)
• CS Minaur Baia Mare (ROU)
• HC Alkaloid (MKD)
• Elverum Håndball (NOR)
• RK Partizan (SRB)
• HCB Karviná (CZE)

From the qualification round, a total of 12 sides will progress to the group matches, for which the draw will be held on 18 July and when the weekly Tuesday evening schedule begins. The group matches will start on 14 October and culminate on 2 December.

20 clubs have been directly seeded for the group matches. They are:

• SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER)
• MT Melsungen (GER)
• Montpellier Handball (FRA)
• FC Porto (POR)
• Fraikin BM Granollers (ESP)
• Fredericia Håndboldklub (DEN)
• Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI)
• IFK Kristianstad (SWE)
• RK Nexe (CRO)
• AHC Potaissa Turda (ROU)
• Knattspyrnufélagið Fram (ISL)
• FTC-Green Collect (HUN)
• HC Vardar 1961 (MKD)
• REBUD KPR Ostrovia Ostrów Wielkopolski (POL)
• Tatran Prešov (SVK)
• RD LL Grosist Slovan (SLO)
• THW Kiel (GER)
• Fenix Toulouse (FRA) 
• Sport Lisboa e Benfica (POR)
• ABANCA Ademar León (ESP)

From the group matches, the teams ranked first and second on each table will qualify for the main round, which will begin on 17 February and end on 10 March 2026. 

The knockout stage begins on 31 March, with the first legs of the play-offs. The second-leg play-offs will take place on 7 April, and the quarter-finals will be played on 28 April and 5 May. The title will be decided at the EHF Finals, where both the semi-finals and finals will be played over one weekend, on 30–31 May. 

Women’s competition 

The women’s competition opens with two qualification rounds, with both draws to be held on 15 July. The opening round (named round 2) will be played from 27 September to 5 October, and the second round (round 3) will take place from 8 to 16 November. 

18 teams will get the EHF European League Women 2025/26 started in the opening qualification round: 

• Skara HF (SWE)
• LC Brühl Handball (SUI)
• DHK Baník Most (CZE)
• ŽRK Crvena Zvezda (SRB)
• Armada Praxis Yalikavakspor SK (TUR)
• Hypo Niederösterreich (AUT)
• Sport Lisboa e Benfica (POR)
• O.F.N. Ionias (GRE)
• JuRo Unirek VZV (NED)
• Valur (ISL)
• IK Sävehof (SWE)
• SPONO Eagles (SUI)
• HH Elite (DEN)
• Molde Elite (NOR)
• CS Rapid Bucuresti (ROU)
• ES Besançon Féminin (FRA)
• Motherson Mosonmagyaróvári KC (HUN)
• GC Amicitia Zürich (SUI)

Nine winners of the two-leg ties will reach the second qualification round, joining 15 teams directly seeded for that stage. The teams starting in the second qualification round will be: 

• Viborg HK (DEN)
• HSG Blomberg-Lippe (GER)
• HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames (GER)
• Tertnes Bergen (NOR)
• CS Minaur Baia Mare (ROU)
• JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball (FRA)
• MOL Esztergom (HUN)
• HC Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO)
• KGHM MKS Zaglebie Lubin (POL)
• VfL Oldenburg (GER) 
• Larvik Håndballklubb (NOR)
• Chambray Touraine Handball (FRA)
• Super Amara Bera Bera (ESP)
• HC Dalmatinka Ploce (CRO)
• PGE MKS FunFloor Lublin (POL)

In qualification round 3, 12 places in the group phase will be up for grabs. Waiting in the group phase will be four clubs seeded straight into that stage, including the defending title holders Thüringer HC. 

The complete list of teams seeded into the group phase is:

• Thüringer HC (GER)
• Nykøbing Falster Håndbold (DEN)
• Sola HK (NOR)
• CSM Corona Brasov (ROU)

The women’s group phase will take place from 10 January to 22 February 2026, after which the two top-ranked sides in each group will play the quarter-finals. The quarter-finals will take place over two legs and be played from 21 to 29 March, leading into the EHF Finals Women, where the semi-finals and finals will take place. The EHF Finals Women will be played on 16–17 May 2026. 

Photos: Alibek Käsler | Werbeagentur Käsler GbR; kolektiff images/Anze Malovrh