TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2026 preview
- therookiereporters
- Jun 14
- 2 min read
It's finally time for this year’s FINAL4 in Men’s handball. Here is everything you need to know ahead of an exciting weekend!
Explainer:
Similar to football, handball has their own Champions League in European handball as well, bringing together the best teams from across the continent to compete for the ultimate title throughout the season.
The Champions League’s format starts with a group stage, where teams are divided into groups and play each other home and away.
The top teams from these groups then move on to the knockout rounds, which includes play-offs and quarter-finals. These are decided over two legs, with each team playing one game home and one away.
From there the pressure rises, as they reach the final stage, the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 - also known as the FINAL4. Here the tournament culminates over a single-weekend event held at the LANXESS arena in Cologne, Germany - this year and until 2029 - from the 13th till 14th of June.
The Teams:
The first team to participate is the reigning champions, SC Magdeburg. The title-win last year put them up at five FINAL4 wins and with their fourth consecutive FINAL4 this weekend, the team is looking to defend their European crown.
Aalborg Håndbold is another team taking part this year. Having lost out to the gold medal in 2021 and 2024, the Danish team failed to make it into last year’s FINAL4 and are looking to redeem themselves this year.
The second German team, Füchse Berlin, are also participants this year. Last year they took the silver-medal home, being runners-up to SC Magdeburg in an all-german finale. With key-players like Mathias Gidsel, they look to be tough competition.
Last but not least is the team, FC Barcelona - also known as Barça. The record champions are looking to continue their remarkable success in the FINAL4 with 12 wins - the most in history.
Schedule (All timings in CEST):
13th of June / Semi-Finals:
SC Magdeburg vs Füchse Berlin | 15:00
Aalborg Håndbold vs Barça | 18:00
14th of June / Finals:
Bronze-medal match | 15:00
Final | 18:00
Article written by Laura Friis
