The remaining eligible teams contest a qualification tournament to determine the teams securing the remaining 20 places in the final tournament. The qualification tournament consists of three rounds: qualification phase 1, promotion round, and qualification phase 2.[1]
Qualification phase 1:
Four teams;
Round-robin tournament format;
Top-ranked team after all matches played advances to the promotion round.
Twenty teams that participated in the 2024 European Championship, but did not qualify directly to the 2026 final tournament
Round-robin tournament format: eight groups of four teams;
Group winners, group runners-up, and the four best third-placed teams qualify for the final tournament.
Qualification Phase 1
Since only four teams participate in this round, no draw was needed, other than the hosting rights.[1][2] Although Cyprus had the hosting rights, it declined and the rights moved to Azerbaijan.
Phase 2 will be played between November 2024 and May 2025. Like in previous cycles, 32 teams will be divided into eight groups of four, to be played as round-robin tournaments. The eight group winners and runners-up qualify for the final tournament, together with the four best third-placed teams, which will be determined taking into account only results against top two teams in each group.[5] The draw took place on 21 March 2024 in Copenhagen, Denmark.[6][7]
1 Following another motion, submitted by the competitions department and confirmed by the EXEC, Latvia, as the best-ranked team not yet qualified, received a place in the Men’s EHF EURO 2026 Qualifiers Phase 2. This one place was until now open due to the non-admittance of Russia and Belarus.[6]
Updated to match(es) played on 16 March 2025. Source: EHF Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference. (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated
Updated to match(es) played on 16 March 2025. Source: EHF Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference. (E) Eliminated
Updated to match(es) played on 15 March 2025. Source: EHF Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference. (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated
Updated to match(es) played on 16 March 2025. Source: EHF Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.
Updated to match(es) played on 16 March 2025. Source: EHF Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference. (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated
Updated to match(es) played on 16 March 2025. Source: EHF Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.
Updated to match(es) played on 16 March 2025. Source: EHF Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.
Updated to match(es) played on 16 March 2025. Source: EHF Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.
Updated to match(es) played on 15 March 2025. Source: EHF Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.
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Great Britain 
Cyprus 
Azerbaijan (H)
Malta 
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