Germany's handball national team is set for the EM final against host Denmark. After narrow semifinal victories, the Germans aim for their third European championship title. The decisive match takes place on February 1 in Herning.
The Handball European Championship 2026 reaches its climax: Germany faces Denmark in the final. Both teams advanced with 31:28 semifinal wins – Germany over Croatia, Denmark over Iceland. The final takes place on Sunday, February 1, at 6 p.m. in Herning's Jyske Bank Boxen, broadcast on ZDF and Dyn.
Germany, led by coach Alfred Gislason, has improved throughout the tournament. The team defeated Austria (30:27) and Spain (34:32) in the preliminary round, Portugal (32:30), Norway (30:28), and France (38:34) in the main round, but lost to Denmark (26:31). Goalkeeper Andreas Wolff and a solid defense were key in the semifinal.
Juri Knorr emphasized: "We are the underdog, Denmark has everything to lose. We have nothing to lose." Captain Johannes Golla added: "We don't want to be just guests in the final." Gislason demands: "We need our best tournament performance, a perfect game." Danish star Mathias Gidsel downplayed fan criticism: "In the Bundesliga, the booing is much worse."
The head-to-head record is balanced: In 38 encounters, Denmark has 18 wins, Germany 16, with four draws. Germany's last EM win over Denmark was ten years ago (25:23). Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Denmark's Queen Mary will attend; the home party is canceled due to a strike.
Germany is chasing its third EM title after 2004 and 2016 against the world champions.
