The 16 teams will be drawn into four groups of four, with country protection in effect.
The pots are as follows:
- Pot 1: Nykøbing Falster Håndbold, Thüringer HC, Tertnes Bergen, CSM Corona Brasov
- Pot 2: Viborg HK, HSG Blomberg-Lippe, Motherson Mosonmagyaróvári KC, CS Rapid Bucuresti
- Pot 3: HC Lokomotiva Zagreb, JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball, MOL Esztergom, CS Minaur Baia Mare
- Pot 4: Chambray Touraine Handball, VfL Oldenburg, Larvik Håndballklubb, KGHM MKS Zaglebie Lubin
The pot 1 teams — defending champions Thüringer HC, Nykøbing Falster, Tertnes Bergen and Corona Brasov — were all directly seeded into the group phase prior to the season start. The remaining sides have made their way to this stage via the two qualification rounds.
The group phase will encompass six rounds, played from 10 January to 22 February 2026. From there, the two top-ranked teams in each group will qualify for the quarter-finals. The four winners of the two-leg quarter-final ties will progress to the EHF Finals Women on 16 and 17 May 2026.
