2026 Men's European Handball Championship predictions and betting odds

By Klimentijs Konevs | Published: January 14, 2026

It's time for some handball action, as the EHF European Men's Handball Championship 2026 is just around the corner. The tournament kicks off on 15 January in Scandinavia, with Denmark, Norway and Sweden sharing hosting duties. Matches will be spread across Herning, Bærum, Malmö and Kristianstad. A total of 24 teams are split into six groups of four before the tournament moves into the main round and knockout stages.

In 2024, France managed to beat Denmark in the final to claim their fourth gold, leaving them just one triumph behind Sweden, who lead the all-time table with five. Below, we break down the odds, predict each group's winner and pick our outright champion for this year's edition.

At the top of the market sit Denmark. Playing on home soil in Herning will most definitely give them a push this year. Next are Sweden, the all-time best team, if we look at the medals. They are also the winners of the 2022 European Championship. The current title holders, France, are closing the top 3.

* Odds updated on 14.01.2026

Group A

The odds point clearly towards Germany winning the group at 1.60. Spain are behind at 3.00, with Serbia and Austria being placed as the outsiders at 10.00 and 21.00, respectively.

Germany finished fourth last time and beat Spain in a battle for top spot at the 2016 Euros. Spain went on to win the next two editions of the tournament, though. However, the squad suffered from major changes since then and missed a semi-final in 2024. They still have a lot of work to do to perform at a top level again. Meanwhile, Austria and Serbia look set to battle it out for third place rather than challenge for first.

Group B

The odds make Group B pretty straightforward. Denmark are overwhelming favourites at 1.02, with Portugal trailing behind at 9.00. North Macedonia sit at 151.00 and Romania at 501.00.

Denmark are the only right answer here. Their odds are backed by a gold medal at the Summer Olympics in 2024 and a win at the IHF World Championship for a fourth straight time in 2025. They will also enjoy a home advantage this time. Portugal continue their steady rise to the elite level. They outplayed Norway, Sweden and Germany at the last World Championship to finish fourth, but they still need to prove themselves at this level at the Euros.

Group C

France lead the group C at 1.50. Not far behind are Norway at 2.50. Czechia and Ukraine are the outsiders of this group, priced at 151.00 and 501.00.

France finally claimed their fourth European gold in 2024, ending a 10-year wait. They remain the team best equipped to trouble Denmark at this tournament. Norway's strongest recent result came with a bronze medal in 2020, though playing at home this year should bring extra support. Czechia and Ukraine can be awkward opponents sometimes, but this group ultimately looks like a battle between France and Norway for group leadership.

Group D

Pundits have placed Slovenia at the top of the group at 1.75, then come Faroe Islands at 4.50. Switzerland are priced at 3.20 and Montenegro at 41.00

On paper, Slovenia are the strongest side in the group. They finished fourth in 2020, losing to Norway in the semi-finals. However, their best-ever result at this tournament came more than twenty years ago, when they ended up second, losing to Germany in 2004. A lot has changed since then, but Slovenia remain a dangerous team, while none of the other sides in this group have won any medals at the international level.

Group E

The odds for Group E make Sweden the clear favourites at 1.25, with Croatia next in line at 4.00. The Netherlands sit further back at 19.00, while Georgia are major outsiders at 501.00.

Sweden are the most decorated nation in European Championship history and will also enjoy home advantage in Malmö. Their most recent gold came in 2022, beating Spain in the final, before taking bronze in 2024 with a win over Germany on home soil. However, Sweden struggled at the most recent World Championship. It was, instead, Croatia that impressed by reaching the final and finishing second. That form makes this a potential upset spot, with a close battle expected.

Group F

At 1.33, Iceland are clear favourites to win the group, with Hungary priced at 4.50, Italy at 10.00, and Poland long shots at 101.00.

Iceland should comfortably top the group. They claimed third place back in 2010. None of the other teams in this section have ever reached that high of a result. Italy are appearing at the European Championship for the first time since 1998, when they hosted the tournament, and could be washed away fairly quickly at this level. With that in mind, it would be a real surprise if Iceland failed to finish first in this group.

There isn't much intrigue around our pick. We could potentially see Denmark face France for the third time in the history of the tournament. Denmark’s consistency at major tournaments has been outstanding, and their loss to France in the final of 2024 was super narrow. They lost 33-31 only in extra time. This year, with the home crowd backing them, Denmark should have enough to go one step further and secure their third European Championship gold medal.

The Men's European Championship will have 24 teams split into six groups of four in the preliminary round. Each team plays three group matches. The top two teams from each group advance to the main round.

In the main round, qualified teams are divided into two groups of six. Results against teams that also progressed from the same preliminary group are carried over. This means that every match matters early on. Each team then plays three additional main-round games against new opponents.

The top two teams from each main-round group reach the semi-finals, followed by the bronze-medal match and the final. The dates for each round are:

• Group stage (preliminary round): 15-21 January
• Main round: 22-28 January
• Semi-final: 30 January
• Final: 1 February

Check out our betting tips on many major sports in our Telegram channel. Join us to stay up to date and never miss our predictions!