Four months before the 2026 European Women’s Championships (January 26 – February 5), which will be held in Funchal in the Portuguese island of Madeira, the draw for Group Stage I took place in this city today.
The most interesting group is Group B, which features two nations with rich traditions: Spain and Hungary. Spain is the reigning Olympic champion, the runner-up at the 2024 European Championships, and a bronze medalist at the 2025 World Championships. Hungary recently won a silver medal at this year’s World Championships in Singapore.
The reigning European champion, the Netherlands, shouldn’t have very demanding tasks in Group D. World champion Greece is the only serious contender for 1st place in Group A. Italy, which was 4th at the previous Europeans and hasn’t won a medal at a major competition for a while, is the favorite in Group C.
However, the competition with many derbies begins in Group Stage II, where eight teams will continue to battle for the medals.
2026 Women’s European Championships (January 26– February 5), Group Stage I
Group A: Greece, France, Slovakia, Germany
Group B: Hungary, Romania, Spain, Portugal.
Group C: Italy, Serbia, Croatia, Turkiye.
Group D: Netherlands, Switzerland, Great Britain, Israel
Group Stage II
The competition formula differs slightly from that of the men’s European Championships. After the Group Stage I only the top two teams will advance to Group Stage II and continue chasing medals. The remaining teams will play in the 9th – 16th place classification.
Second stage, groups
1st – 8th place
Group E: 1A, 1C, 2A, 2C
Group F: 1B, 1D, 2B, 2D
The top two teams will advance to the semifinals, while the third- and fourth-placed teams will compete in the 5th-8th place semifinals.
9th – 16th place
Group G: 3A, 3C, 4A, 4C
Group H: 3B, 3D, 4B, 4D
The group winners will play in the 9th-place match, the second-placed in the 11th-place match, the third-placed in the 13th-place game, while the teams ranked 4th in Groups G and H will face off in the 15th-place game.
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