Montenegrin handball players have been drawn into a group alongside Hungary, Slovakia, and Finland for the qualification of the 2026 European Championship, as determined in today’s draw.

Our team was placed in the second hat, sharing it with Austria, Serbia, Poland, the Czech Republic, North Macedonia, the Faroe Islands, and Greece.

“We have a solid group with formidable opponents. Hungary stands out as our main competitor, and we are quite familiar with them from our match in the last European Championship this January. I’m confident we can challenge them even on their turf, especially at our own venue. I don’t know the Slovaks well, but their recent performances suggest they can be a tough opponent if we underestimate them,” remarked coach Vlado Šola.

From the eight groups, two national teams along with the four best third-placed teams will qualify for the European Championship.

“From the last hat, we drew Finland, which is an opponent we should handle with ease. Nevertheless, it’s critical to remain fully focused and treat all our group rivals with seriousness. The key for us is to be complete and prepared for every match. If we achieve that, qualifying for the European Championship should not be in doubt. For us, it’s crucial to participate annually in major competitions,” Šola added.

Qualification kicks off on November 7, with Denmark, Sweden, and Norway hosting the Euros.

The three host nations and the current champion France will not take part in the qualifications.

Group 1: Slovenia, North Macedonia, Lithuania, Estonia;

Group 2: Hungary, Montenegro, Slovakia, Finland;

Group 3: Iceland, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia;

Group 4: Spain, Serbia, Italy, Latvia;

Group 5: Croatia, Czech Republic, Belgium, Luxembourg;

Group 6: Netherlands, Faroe Islands, Ukraine, Kosovo;

Group 7: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Turkey;

Group 8: Portugal, Poland, Romania, Israel.

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