The 2025–25 Women's EHF European League is the 45th edition of EHF's second-tier women's handball competition, running from 27 September 2025 to 17 May 2026.
Thüringer HC are the defending champions. JDA Bourgogne Dijon HB won their first title after beating Thüringer HC in the final 29–25 at home.
Rankings The rankings are based on the performances of each club from a respective country from a three-year period. Associations 1–2 can have four clubs qualify. Associations 3–9 can have three clubs qualify. Associations 10–18 can have two clubs qualify. Associations 19–29 can have one club qualify. Associations below the top 30 can't participate in this competition.
RankPlace distribution for 2025/26 eurohandball.comAssociationAverage pointsTeams1 Denmark96.0032 Germany94.6743 Norway 85.6734 Romania 81.675 France64.006 Hungary48.6727 Croatia38.678 Russia44.5009 Poland 27.33210 Spain21.00111 Sweden13.33212 Switzerland9.67313 Serbia9.67114 Czech Republic6.3315 Turkey5.3316 Austria2.33
RankAssociationAverage pointsTeams17 Greece0.67118 Iceland0.6719 Azerbaijan0.00019 Cyprus0.0019 Finland0.0019 Israel0.0019 Italy0.0019 Kosovo0.0019 Luxembourg0.0019 North Macedonia0.0019 Netherlands0.00119 Portugal0.0019 Ukraine0.00030 Everyone else0.00
Qualified teams The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round: EL: European League title holders EC: European Cup title holders CW: Cup winners CR: Cup runners-up 4th, 5th, etc.: League position of the previous season
The list of entered teams was announced on 15 July 2025. Sola HK was originally among the four clubs directly qualified for the group phase of the EHF European League Women 2025/26, but EHF's decision on Tuesday 5 August announced Sola HK as the replacement for HB Ludwigsburg in group B of the 2025–26 Women's EHF Champions League, leaving a spot open in the seeding list for the EHF European League. Tertnes Bergen, a Norwegian club seeded initially in the qualification round 3, has been upgraded to the group phase.
Team allocation
Group stage Nykøbing Falster Håndboldklub (4th) Thüringer HC (3rd) Tertnes Bergen (5th) CS Corona Brașov (2nd)Round 3 RK Lokomotiva Zagreb (2nd) HC Dalmatinka Ploče (3rd) Viborg HK (6th) JDA Bourgogne Dijon HB (3rd) Chambray Touraine Handball (4th) HSG Blomberg-Lippe (3rd) HSG Bensheim/Auerbach (5th) Vfl Oldenburg (6th) MOL Esztergom (3rd) Larvik HK (3rd) KGHM MKS Zagłębie Lubin (1st) PGE MKS El-Volt Lublin (2nd) CS Minaur Baia Mare (4th) Super Amara Bera Bera (1st)Round 2 Hypo Niederösterreich (1st) DHK Baník Most (1st) HH Elite (7th) ESBF Besançon (5th) OF Nea Ionia (1st) Mosonmagyaróvári KC SE (5th) Valur (1st) JuRo Unirek VZV (1st) Molde Elite (4th) SL Benfica (1st) CS Rapid București (5th) ŽRK Crvena zvezda (1st) IK Sävehof (1st) Skara HF (6th) LC Brühl Handball (1st) Spono Eagles (2nd) GC Amicitia Zürich (3rd) Armada Praxis Yalikavakspor (1st)
Round and draw dates
The schedule of the competition was as follows (all draws were held at the EHF headquarters in Vienna, Austria).
PhaseRoundDraw dateFirst legSecond legQualificationSecond qualifying round15 July 202527–28 September 20254–5 October 2025Third qualifying round8–9 November 202515–16 November 2025Group stageMatchday 120 November 202510–11 January 2026Matchday 217–18 January 2026Matchday 324–25 January 2026Matchday 47–8 February 2026Matchday 514–15 February 2026Matchday 621–22 February 2026Knockout phaseQuarter-finals no draw21–22 March 202628–29 March 2026Semi finals7 April 202616 May 2026Finalno draw17 May 2026
Qualification round
Round 2 There were 18 teams participating in round 2. The first legs were played on 27–28 September and the second legs were played on 4–5 October 2025.
Round 3 There were 22 teams participating in round 3. The first legs were played on 8–9 November and the second legs were played on 15–16 November 2025.
Group stage
The draw for the group phase was held on 20 November 2025. In each group, teams played against each other in a double round-robin format, with home and away matches.
In the group stage, teams were ranked according to points (2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). After completion of the group stage, if two or more teams have scored the same number of points, the ranking will be determined as follows:
Highest number of points in matches between the teams directly involved; Superior goal difference in matches between the teams directly involved; Highest number of goals scored in matches between the teams directly involved; Superior goal difference in all matches of the group; Highest number of plus goals in all matches of the group;
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Quarterfinals
Matches
Thüringer HC won 67–64 on aggregate
MOL Esztergom won 68–52 on aggregate
Viborg HK won 61–58 on aggregate
JDA Bourgogne Dijon HB won 58–40 on aggregate
Final Four After after holding the tournament in Graz, Austria for three years, the EHF decided to end holding it in a neutral venue and opened the bidding process on 25 February 2026. On 2 April 2026, the EHF announced that Dijon was the awarded the hosting rights for the Final Four, (also known as the EHF Finals by the EHF). On 10 April 2026, ticket sales started. On 30 April 2026, the referees were confirmed.
Draw The draw was held on 7 April 2026.
Bracket
Semifinals
Third place game
Final
Top goalscorers Source:
Rank Player Club Goals1 Johanna Reichert Thüringer HC1112 Lea Faragó MOL Esztergom623 Stine Nørklit Lønborg JDA Bourgogne Dijon HB614 Clara Lerby Nykøbing Falster Håndboldklub545 Marielle Martinsen Viborg HK526 Katarina Krpež Šlezak CS Corona Brașov497 Sara Hald Viborg HK468 Anett Kovács MOL Esztergom44 Paula Posavec RK Lokomotiva Zagreb10 Clara Bang Nykøbing Falster Håndboldklub42 Nina Drury JDA Bourgogne Dijon HB Emília Varga MOL Esztergom
Notes
See also 2025–26 EHF Champions League 2025–26 EHF European League 2025–26 EHF European Cup 2025–26 Women's EHF Champions League 2025–26 Women's EHF European Cup
References
External links Official website