The Executive Committee of the European Handball Federation has allocated the Women’s EHF EURO 2026 to Poland, Romania, Czechia, Slovakia and Türkiye in a move to bring top women’s handball to as many European markets as possible.

Following the end of the submission deadline on 25 October 2023, the EHF had received the bid of Türkiye as well as joint bids from Czechia/Poland and Romania/Slovakia.

In the following months, evaluations of the different bids, an analysis of the TV situation and possible audiences, consultations with the federations interested in hosting the championship as well as first site visits took place.

With the information at hand, a joint move was made, highlighting the advantages of every bid and the possibility to further promote women’s handball in the five countries, and the federations agreed to stage the Women’s EHF EURO 2026 together – a decision that was confirmed by the Executive Committee on Thursday.

The Women’s EHF EURO 2026 is scheduled from 3 to 20 December 2026. It is the second Women’s EHF EURO which will be played with 24 teams.

The preliminary round will take place with one group each in Oradea, Cluj-Napoca, Antalya, Brno, Katowice, and Bratislava.

The main round will be played in Cluj-Napoca and Katowice. The Polish city of Katowice, host city already at the Men’s EHF EURO 2016 and the IHF Men’s World Championship 2023, will welcome the teams for the final weekend.

Venues chosen include among others the 11,000-capacity Spodek Arena in Katowice as well as the 10,000-capacity BT Arena in Cluj-Napoca.

The EHF EXEC had received the mandate to re-allocate the Women’s EHF EURO 2026 last summer as holding the event in Russia, the championship’s original hosts, is not possible.

With the decision taken, the very best of women’s national team handball will come to 11 European markets in the next years.

The Women’s EHF EURO 2024 (28 November to 15 December) is played in Austria, Hungary and Switzerland, the Women’s EHF EURO 2026 in the aforementioned five countries, and the Women’s EHF EURO 2028 in Norway, Denmark and Sweden.

Photo © Anze Malovrh / Kolektiff Images