Overview
- The European Handball Federation approved expanding the men's Champions League from 16 to 24 clubs starting in 2026/27, switching to six groups of four with group winners and runners-up advancing to a main round.
- Teams finishing lower in the Champions League group stage will continue in an overhauled European League, which retains 32 teams without a separate qualifying round and serves as a clearer drop-down pathway.
- The EHF will launch the European Handball Games from 2030 as a national-team event granting Europe an Olympic berth, with eight women's and eight men's teams playing every four years in September.
- Distribution of the 24 Champions League places and related calendar updates will be set at the EHF Executive meeting in December, with Germany's HBL expressing hope for a third berth but no decision yet.
- UEFA has formed a working group to propose reforms to Euro and World Cup qualifying, including a league-style phase under discussion, while the Euro finals format of 24 teams is expected to remain unchanged pending an Executive Committee review in early December.