Iceland Advance to Men’s European Handball Championship Semi-finals

2026-01-29 - 09:33

Iceland’s men’s national handball team have advanced to the semi-finals of the Men’s European Handball Championship, reaching the final four after a 39-31 victory over Slovenia in their decisive main round match. As reported by RÚV, the win in Malmö qualifies Iceland for the semi-finals of the EHF EURO 2026 for only the third time in the nation’s history. What's the Story? Iceland defeated Slovenia 39–31 at the Men’s European Handball Championship Result secured Iceland a place in the semi-finals Match played in Malmö during the main round Semi-final opponent to be Denmark, Germany or France on Friday Final group position dependent on Croatia vs Hungary and Sweden vs Switzerland results Championship progress secured The team will face one of Denmark, Germany or France in Friday’s knockout round, depending on the outcomes of other fixtures. National team coach Snorri Steinn described the achievement after the game: “I just feel very good. It is hard to describe this. I am proud, but this has been difficult. This has been an incredible rollercoaster and very emotional. Fantastic to have reached the semi-finals, and there is usually a great performance that takes teams this far.” Iceland’s finishing position in the group remains contingent on results involving Croatia, Hungary and Sweden. A Croatia win over Hungary would leave Iceland second in the group, while other combinations of results could still see them top the table. This follows spirited performances earlier in the tournament, including a win against Sweden that set national viewership records, underlining the sport’s popularity in the country.