Young stars left their mark at the Men’s EHF EURO 2026

A total of 104 Respect Your Talent players from 23 countries — born in 2002 or younger — starred on the Men’s EHF EURO 2026 stage, making important contributions for their sides and combining for 777 goals during the tournament.

SEAMLESS INTEGRATION OF YOUNG PLAYERS

Performing in major international competitions and playing alongside well-established handball stars brings valuable experience to young talents, helping them integrate into the teams. Many of them are already part of important clubs, and they have proved their importance for the national teams as well, as federations rely more and more on youth power.

Hungary and the Faroe Islands are the two nations who boasted the highest number of RYT players in their squads at the Men’s EHF EURO 2026, with 10 each. The Faroe Islands in particular are well-known for having many inexperienced players in their line-up, but that has not stopped them from making history at the beginning of the year, by clinching their first EHF EURO victory.

Portugal — with eight RYT alumni on their side — have also enjoyed a fantastic European journey, dealing Denmark a surprising loss in the preliminary round and finishing the championship in fifth place, their best-ever EHF EURO result.

Silver medallists Germany relied on six programme alumni, while third-placed Croatia counted no less than five RYT players in their squad, the same as Switzerland.

RESPECT YOUR TALENT ALUMNI MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Despite their young age, the rising stars of the sport had important contributions for their teams, reflected in their performances on the court and, in some cases, in the awards they received.

Portugal might have had the most iconic young duo at the Men’s EHF EURO 2026, with brothers Francisco and Martim Costa making the headlines once again with their results. Centre back Martim was the second-best scorer for Portugal with 44 goals, while his brother “Kiko” surpassed him with 61 goals and 21 assists, which brought him a place in the All-star Team as the best right back and the best young player. The “trio” of key RYT players for the team was completed by 23-year-old right back João Gomes, who netted nine goals during the tournament.

Germany’s journey towards the EHF EURO 2026 silver was boosted by several notable developing athletes, such as goalkeeper David Späth, back players Marko Grgić (22 goals) and Nils Lichtlein (14 goals), as well as line player Justus Fischer (14 goals). The German youth force was spearheaded by Renārs Uščins with 43 goals.

Croatia have been aiming a return at the top, and they have certainly managed to do so by clinching bronze, despite missing experienced players — such as former captain Domagoj Duvnjak, who has retired. Instead, they brought new energy into the squad with the help of rising talents, most notably their goalkeeping duo of Dominik Kuzmanović and Matej Mandić, and line player Zlatko Raužan (18 goals).

RYT alumnus Bence Imre stole the spotlight as one of the best young players of the tournament, contributing 46 goals for his side in the seven games played. Gergő Fazekas (23 goals) and Zoran Ilić (21 goals) strengthened the Hungarian young attack, while 23-year-old Kristóf Palasics rose to the occasion between the posts with 62 saves.

Elias á Skipagøtu, Óli Mittún, Hákun av Teigum and Pauli Jacobsen have already made a name for themselves, being part of the Faroe Islands’ most recent historical achievements. The first three were responsible for more than half of their team’s goals at the Men’s EHF EURO 2026, netting 63 times combined — out of a total of 92 goals scored by their side.

Jan Gurri and Ian Barrufet were the second and third-best scorers for Spain, with 27 and 21 goals, respectively, while Marcos Fis debuted strong for the senior national team, impressing right from the opening match and finishing the tournament on 19 goals.

Switzerland’s youth showed their strong quality with impressive performances under pressure, as the side managed to make it to the main round and tied their best EHF EURO finish (12th place). Also a RYT alumnus, Noam Leopold found the net 27 times during the tournament, including a flawless performance from the seven-metre line with 11 successful shots. Luca Sigrist (21 goals) and Felix Aellen (14 goals) were also part of the RYT players who impressed on the court.

Photos © kolektiff images