Norway, Sweden and Denmark awarded to the European Championships
This became clear when the European Handball Federation (EHF) held an extraordinary congress in Vienna on Saturday.
The three neighboring countries have united under the label «Scandinavia Connect». Everyone is used to collaborating on championships across national borders, but this will be the first time in Norway, Sweden and Denmark are hosting European championships together.
The first of the two events is EHF EURO 2026 for men. Barely three years later, towards the end of the calendar year 2028, the Scandinavian countries join forces to host the EHF EURO 2028 for women.
– These championships will be a driving force to connect all European member states, large and small. We want to find new ways to collaborate with each other, and we want to reach a wider audience. The goal is to build a more robust future for our sport, says president of the Norwegian Handball Association, Kåre Geir Lio, and adds:
– We are very much looking forward to it.
It is not decided which arenas will host the championships in Norway, but for 2026 Bærum / Oslo, Stavanger and Trondheim are relevant host cities. For the women’s championship 2028, Bergen is also a candidate, in addition to the three other cities. For this tournament, the plan is for Norway to host the European Championship final itself.
The decision on the award was awaited, since the Scandinavian contribution at the opening of the congress was the only applicant for the two championships.
– This is a great opportunity for our three countries, and for European handball. We want to show an innovative mindset around all parts of the organization in 2026 and 2028, says president of the Danish Handball Association, Morten Stig Christensen.
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Kåre Geir Lio on the podium in Vienna, with his Scandinavian customers next door. Photo: Jozo Cabraja / Kolektiff / EHF
– The two European Championships in 2026 and 2028 will result in tangible examples of how to carry out sustainable tournaments. It’s decision for the way forward. We thank EHF for the trust, and look forward to realizing our plans, says president of the Swedish Handball Association, Frederik Rapp.
– We have three host nations here who are very experienced. Congratulations to «Scandinavia Connect», said President of EHF, Michael Wiederer, in connection with the award on Saturday afternoon.
For more information, contact:
Kåre Geir Lio
chairman of the Norwegian Handball Association
Phone: +47 913 99 133
FACTS
Events EC / WC, women:
WC 2021: Spain
EC 2022: Northern Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia
WC 2023: Denmark, Norway, Sweden
EC 2024: Austria, Hungary, Switzerland
WC 2025: Germany, Holland
EM 2026: Russia
WC 2027: Hungary
EM 2028: Norway, Denmark, Sweden
Events EC / WC, men:
EC 2022: Hungary, Slovakia
WC 2023: Poland, Sweden
EM 2024: Germany
WC 2025: Norway, Denmark, Croatia
EM 2026: Denmark, Sweden, Norway
WC 2027: Germany
EC 2028: Spain, Portugal, Switzerland