Live blog: High-intensity games as North Macedonia and Switzerland lead

• 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

17:40

The easiest way for you to stay updated with what's happening tonight — and be the first who finds out which teams complete the main round line-up — is to download our Home of Handball app, available on iOS and Android.

Make sure you also fill in your match predictions and vote for the Player of the Match 15 minutes before the final whistle for each game.

17:30

Half an hour until throw-off and both North Macedonia and Romania are well into their warm-ups here in Jyske Bank Boxen. Check out the match pages to see the rosters for the first games:

• North Macedonia vs Romania
• Montenegro vs Switzerland
• Poland vs Italy

17:10

Each Men’s EHF EURO 2026 day brings something new — and we’ve gathered some of the most interesting facts and milestones to keep an eye on during today’s matches:

• North Macedonia and Romania have three wins each from their previous meetings, so whoever wins today will have the upper hand in the head-to-head encounters
• Montenegro and Switzerland are meeting for the first time today
• Poland and Italy are about to have their first EHF EURO clash
• Italy’s Simone Mengon (10 goals) and Leo Prantner (nine goals) can make it among the top 5 EHF EURO scorers for their country — if they get their tally to at least 13
• Portugal have never won against Denmark in the seven previous meetings, including the five EHF EURO clashes between the two
• Slovenia prepare for their 90th EHF EURO game and can clinch their 35th win in the competition
• Borut Mačkovšek (102) is three goals shy of equalling his head coach Uroš Zorman — who is currently fifth with 105 — in Slovenia’s all-time EHF EURO goalscorers
• Iceland’s Ómar Ingi Magnússon (92) needs eight more EHF EURO goals to reach 100

16:35

Although they can’t make it to the main round, Poland and Italy hope they can finish their campaigns with a win. It is the first time the two sides meet at the EHF EURO, but in their previous two meetings — during the qualifiers in 2022 and 2023 — Poland were the ones to celebrate. It will be an interesting clash to watch, as Italy can be proud of their performances so far and might even produce a surprise against Poland.

The squad enjoyed a nice walk on their last match day in Kristianstad, before they head back home.

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16:10

Which Men’s EHF EURO 2026 squad has the most players who perform in Machineseeker EHF Champions League clubs? And which club from the top-tier competition features the highest number of players at the European Championship this year?

Our EHF journalist Björn Pazen has the answers for you.

15:45

The fan zones in the Men’s EHF EURO 2026 venues are nothing short of impressive. For those of you who are in Herning — or plan to come for the main round and the final weekend — make sure you check out the handball museum. We’ve included some pictures below, but there’s more handball history to be discovered there!

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.

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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.