Women's Handball National Team - EHF Euro Qualifiers 2026

EURO Qualifiers for Women: Venues Confirmed

Linz will celebrate a premiere next spring. For the first time in history, the capital of Upper Austria will host a competitive match of the women's national team. To conclude the qualification for the Women’s EHF EURO 2026, Greece will visit the steel city on April 12, 2026, at 6:00 PM. In March, there will be a doubleheader against group favorites Spain. The home game will take place on March 4, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the new Sport Arena Vienna. Tickets for both matches are available now through the ÖHB ticket shop and Wien-Ticket.

Linz is not only hosting a qualifying match for the women for the first time, but it also marks a return after more than 34 years. The last time the national team played in the capital was on December 6, 1991, when they won 25:22 against the then Czechoslovakia. At that time, none of the current team players were yet born.

For Ines Ivancok-Soltic & Co., the final match in the EURO qualifiers against Greece in Linz will be a true premiere. The steel city has proven to be a good ground for our national teams, as demonstrated multiple times by the men's team. The women aim to build on this success, create a stir, and, most importantly, secure a ticket for their first European Championship with five co-hosts.

The last match in the qualifiers against Greece will take place on April 18. In the fall, they achieved a historic first encounter with the Greeks, winning 29:22. With their fans behind them, they hope to confirm their role as favorites once again.

Spain to Host in Vienna

Before heading to Linz, the doubleheader against Spain is scheduled for March 2026. The Iberians, who have reached the EURO finals twice, are still waiting for their first major title in women's handball. So far, they have two silver medals from European Championships (2008, 2014), one silver from World Championships (2019), and one bronze from the Olympics (2012).

The Iberians are always among the medal contenders and are clear favorites in the EURO qualifiers. However, recent results give hope for an upset. In the playoff for the 2023 World Cup, they managed to draw 28:28 against Spain in the South City, losing only narrowly away with a score of 24:26.

The new Sport Arena Vienna, with a capacity for 3,000 fans, may be the final piece needed to achieve the first victory over Spain since 1992. By the way, none of the current team players were born at that time either.

The Women’s EHF EURO 2026 will be the first handball European Championship with five co-hosts. Together with the medal winners of the EHF EURO 2024, Norway, Denmark, and Hungary, the five co-hosts Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Turkey are automatically qualified for the final tournament from December 3 to 20, 2026. These eight nations will play the EHF EURO Cup in parallel to the qualifiers. A new format has been established for this, consisting of two groups of four and a final tournament.

For the remaining 24 nations in the qualifiers, it will be a straightforward home-and-away round in their respective groups for the ticket to the EHF EURO 2026, with the top two from each group and the four best third-placed teams qualifying.