Sweden (SWE)

Sweden step into the Men's EHF EURO 2026 as co-hosts and as the nation that has shaped the history of this competition more than anyone else. With five European titles, plus a silver and a bronze, they are still the most decorated team of the European championships. Hosting the championship for the third time only heightens the spotlight they are walking into.

In 2002, when they were sole hosts, Sweden stormed through the competition and claimed European gold on home soil. In 2020, they shared hosting duties with Austria and Norway, reached the main round, and finished seventh: a respectable run, but one that also showed how hosting can be a double-edged sword.

The last two EHF EUROs brought gold and bronze, but the 2025 IHF World Championship painted a completely different picture. Sweden finished 14th, a result far from their standard as injuries dismantled the rhythm at the worst possible moment for new head coach Michael Apelgren. Appointed in 2024 after serving as Glenn Solberg's assistant, Apelgren knows this team inside out, and 2026 will be his first EHF EURO at the helm.

Co-hosting brings a familiar mix for Sweden — a slender advantage gifted by the home crowd, and the heavy pressure of expectations. Still, their identity remains unchanged, as Sweden will once again showcase structured defence and sharp transitions backed by an experienced core. They are one of the favourites again, but also one of the teams everyone will want to bring down.

On their quest to the top, they meet familiar opponents in group E. They faced Georgia and the Netherlands at the Men's EHF EURO 2024 as well, while Croatia stand as the only opponents they have not met at a European championship in eight years.

Competition records:
Number of EHF EURO participations, including 2026: 16
Gold: 1994, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2022
Silver: 2018
Bronze: 2024