Live blog: Showdown for main round seats awaits on Tuesday

• day 6 of the Men's EHF EURO 2026 preliminary round
• at 18:00 CET, North Macedonia vs Romania, Montenegro vs Switzerland, Poland vs Italy
• at 20:30 CET, Denmark vs Portugal, Slovenia vs Faroe Islands, Hungary vs Iceland
• read the day preview
• find out how to follow the men's EHF EURO online, on TV and on social media
• vote for the Player of the Match on the Home of Handball app, 15 minutes before each game's final whistle

TUESDAY 20 JANUARY

15:15

Mathias Gidsel does not cease to impress us. He has scored 109 EHF EURO goals so far and is close to making it among the all-time top 5 for Denmark. Look at this beautiful finish from the match against Romania, when he netted nine times.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by EHF EURO (@ehfeuro)

14:45

Legendary player Andy Schmid is now leading Switzerland as head coach at the Men’s EHF EURO 2026 — and it hasn’t been an easy ride. His side is currently third in group D with one point, after failing to hold on to their half-time lead against Slovenia in round 2 and conceded a difficult loss. They can still make it to the main round, so they’ll need to overcome the previous disappointment and focus all their energy on what’s to come. And who better to lead them through these times than Andy Schmid, who’s had his fair share of challenges?

14:15

The two teams from group F that progress to the main round are already known — and they meet tonight at 20:30 CET. Hungary and Iceland each won their previous two games at the Men’s EHF EURO 2026, and although they are confirmed for the next phase, the clash will decide the final standings of the group — as well as who goes to Malmö with points on their account.

Hungary have had the upper hand in their previous 22 encounters, boasting 13 victories overall, including 33:25 in the preliminary round two years ago. But Iceland have shown great strength, so today’s match is definitely going to keep us on the edge of our seats.

Our stat of the day clearly shows the quality of both squads.

13:45

“Good things always come to an end, but hopefully not that soon,” says 20-year-old Óli Mittún who, despite his age, is one of the stars in the Faroese squad.

The past two years have been memorable for the Faroe Islands, who have made significant developments in handball, as highlighted by their results in the Master Plan project. Moreover, both the men’s and women’s teams had successful debuts at the EHF EUROs in 2024, and this year Óli Mittún and his teammates have already clinched another achievement — first victory at the European Championship.

And the Faroese fairytale can go even further, if they manage to book a main round ticket. But first, the Faroe Islands have to face Slovenia today at 20:30 CET — and luckily, they’ll be supported by the thousands of fans that have come to see them. Read Óli Mittún and the Faroe Islands’ story in our newest feature.

13:15

Details will make a difference tonight. The draw with North Macedonia in group B complicated Portugal’s journey towards the main round — but they still start the day with a slightly better chance of qualifying.

Over in group D, the Faroe Islands have the chance to continue their series of historical achievements. After clinching their first ever EHF EURO win on Sunday, the young squad’s fate depends on their result against Slovenia today — but also on the outcome between Switzerland and Montenegro.

It all comes down to goal difference in both cases, so we did the math for you. Check out our day preview and the calculations for groups B and D.

12:45

A spectacular battle between goalkeepers took place yesterday in Herning, where Constantin Möstl and Dejan Milosavljev stunned the crowd with some amazing saves — no wonder they’re both currently among the top 3 in the goalkeeper standings.

Watch some of their blocks — as well as those of other talented goalkeepers — below.

12:30

While we’re warming up for the games to come, have a look at our top 5 goals from yesterday. Who will finish the preliminary round at the top of the goalscoring charts?

12:00

Hello from sunny Herning! It’s going to be a busy day, with groups B, D and F playing their final preliminary round games, which will decide two more main round participants.

But let’s start with a quick recap of Monday’s best action. Group A’s Germany, Spain, Serbia and Austria were all still in contention for main round tickets at the beginning of the week, with everything to play for in round 3. However, the decision got delayed a bit, as Serbia couldn’t show the same strength as they did in the game against Germany and suffered a disappointing loss to Austria — and the latter ended their Men’s EHF EURO 2026 campaign on a high with an emotional victory.

Later on, the motivated Germans stepped up their game to defeat Spain, thus celebrating not only progression to the main round, but also finishing first in the group. Hear more about it in the latest episode of “The Spin” — available on Youtube, Spotify or your favourite podcast platform.