Metz Handball makes history: EHF FINAL4 Women Recap

From tense semi-finals to a thrilling final, the EHF FINAL4 Women 2026 delivered four action-packed matches before Metz could claim their maiden win.

(Image credit to EHF Champions League)

Going into this weekend, Hungary’s Györi Audi ETO KC, also known as Győr, was the overwhelming favourite going into this weekend with a 49% probability of winning the tournament.

While the other primary challenger, Metz handball - also labeled as “defensive wall” by analysts, had a probability of 28,6% of winning this tournament. The team was hoping to break their ‘semi-final curse’.

The tournament followed over Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was filled with semi-finals and Sunday was for the third place match and the final.

First semi-final: CSM vs. Metz

The 6th of June was the day for the semi-finals. Here the first semi-final was between the Romanian team, CSM București and the french team, Metz handball team.

The game kicked off at 15:00 CEST and 3 minutes in the first goal of the match came in from CSM’s Valeriia Maslova after Metz had missed at their first attack.

By halftime, the score was 17:13 to Metz, the defensive wall slowly taking a controlled lead. There had been a lot of technical failures like dropping the ball or poor shots from both sides. Only a handful of penalties had been given and one two-minute suspension given to Djurdjina Jaukovic from CSM. 

After halftime, with five minutes left of the second half, Metz Handball, was building a comfortable lead with 31:23, as CSM played seven-against-six as a last ditch attempt to come back. 

The final score was 32:27 to the French, Metz, making them the first finalist in this year's EHF FINAL4. The team was good at capitalizing CSM’s mistakes while being strong on their defense with goalkeeper Johanna Bundsen, on a saving percentage of 39.5%.

Second Semi-final: Brest vs. Győr

The second and last semi-final of the women's tournament was between France’s second team in the FINAL4, Brest Bretagne Handball and Györi Audi ETO KC.

By 18:00 CEST the game got underway and two minutes later, Brest’s team captain, Onacia Ondono, was the first to find the net, bringing Brest in a lead for a few minutes.

After the score had been evened out for a few attacks, the french centreback, Méline Nocandy from Brest, got hit with a two-minute suspension, giving Győr full advantage and capitalizing that to a lead 9:7.

At 18:29 CEST, the first video replay of the EHF FINAL4 2026 took place after Győr’s Bruna de Paula was fouled by the first goalscorer, Onacia Ondono, who received a red card for the action.

About 6 minutes later, de Paula herself is shown a red card for a foul against Brest’s Méline Nocandy.

At halftime, it's safe to say neither team can comfortably take the control unlike the first semi-final with the score being 16:17 to Győr. The tension and pressure is high and lots of mistakes from both teams are being made.

About an hour after the first red card was given, the third red card of the match is handed to Brest’s Yvette Petraki for fouling Dione Housheer as she gets her third two-minute suspension that leads to a red card. The current score is 29:29

With about a minute left, Kelly Dulfer from Győr scores, making it 31:30. Brest plays seven-against-six after a timeout, but the Hungarian team kept their head cool and eventually became the last finalist for the final the next day.

(Image credit to EHF Champions League)

Third-place Match: CSM vs. Brest

Following an action-packed Saturday, the final day of the tournament got underway. First up was the bronze medal match between CSM and Brest, both looking to bounce back after having lost to Metz and Győr the previous day.

At 15:00 CEST the first match of Sunday started and three minutes later the Slovenian player for Brest opened the scoring with a long-range hipshot past CSM’s goalkeeper, Gabriela Moreschi.

High pressure was on and CSM looked to be the better team to manage it, by capitalizing on Brest’s many technical mistakes in the first half of the match.

By the time halftime arrives Brest has served one two-minute suspension, and despite a slower and bit sloppy start to the match, the Romanian team is in a tight lead at 13:15. Both of the teams lacked precision and accuracy and hoped to bounce back in the last half of the match for bronze. 

In the 42nd minute of the match after halftime, Gabriela Moreschi jumps as CSM’s Onacia Ondono shoots, but lands awkwardly and immediately clutches her knee. Teammates and staff were quick to help her off and had to sit out for the remainder of the match with the score being 18:21 to CSM.

After many mistakes from the french team, CSM is hit with a red card to their left back, Djurdjina Jaukovic after having tried to defend against Anna Vyakhireva but catching her face instead.

With three minutes on the clock and the score being 24:29 to CSM, a late comeback for Brest seems unlikely.

At the end CSM București, were the ones to take home the bronze medal despite a tough battle against Brest. This will be their third third-place finish, after 2017 and 2018.

This match also brought the end to one of handball’s many iconic players, Ana Gros, who has established herself as one of the most dominant right-backs in women’s handball history.

Final: Győr vs. Metz

The anticipated match of the season was finally here. The EHF Champions league final this year between the home favorite, Győr who will be hoping for their seventh EHFCL title and third in a row against the French team, Metz, who finally reached the final after five consecutive seasons stuck in the semi-finals.

“Focus on the game plan, trust it and trust the process, and trust the capacity of every player next to you on the court” were the words of Metz’s left back, Tyra Axnér before the game.

This final will also mark the end of two Swedish players, Győr captain and line player Anna Lagerquist and right wing Nathalie Hagman.

A very fast start to the long awaited match with already five goals between the two teams, Győr having the advantage currently.

After 18 minutes of Győr being in the lead, Metz’s line player, Sarah Bouktit - who early in the match served a two-minute suspension - equalises it to 12:12.

With 20.000 people in the soldout MVM Dome in Hungary, the pressure is high, but both sides are not backing down, both showing immense pace, strong defense and exciting plays and attacks.

At halftime, Metz went into the locker room with a one-goal lead at 18:17 over Győr after a tight and thrilling first half of the final of EHF FINAL4 Women final.

Five minutes after kick off to the second half, the referees go to video replay as Dione Housheer hits Léna Grandveau in the face while defending and eventually gives her a two-minute suspension - this being her second of the match.

After another two-minute suspension - this time to Csenge Fodor - and many loss of possession of the ball, Győr goes into a three-goal lead for the first time this match and soon making it a six-goal lead.

With less than seven minutes remaining and the current score being 28:30 to Metz, Győr’s Kristine Breistøl fouls Léna Grandveau in the air and is given a red card after video replay.

And after a long season packed with exciting and nailbiting moments, only one team could leave Budapest with the gold trophy and for the first time in Women’s handball it was Metz handball. They had superb defense all the way through the match and season and beat the reigning champions in the final.

Article written by Laura Friis.