The Kosovo women’s handball national team learned its opponents for the second qualifying phase for the 2026 European Championship on Thursday evening.
In the draw held in Cluj Napoca, Romania, it was determined that our national team would be in Group 1 alongside France, Croatia, and Finland.
The group is very challenging, and the goal of our national team will be to qualify for next year’s European Championship, which will be held in Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Turkey. The European Championship will take place from December 3 to 20, 2026.
France is the strongest team in the draw. Croatia was second in the second pot, while Finland was second in the fourth pot.
In addition to the five host countries, the top three teams from the previous continental championship, Norway, Denmark, and Hungary, will also qualify directly.
In the second qualifying phase, there are a total of 24 national teams. The competition will be held in six groups of four teams each. The first two matches will take place from October 15 to 19 this year. The third and fourth rounds will be in March of next year, while the last two rounds will be in April 2026.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for Euro 2026. Additionally, four of the six best third-place teams will secure a spot.
