The Netherlands claimed the M20 EHF Championship I trophy, while Finland reached the top of the podium in the M20 EHF Championship II. In Sunday's finals, played in the Kosovan capital Pristina, the Netherlands got the better of Estonia, and Finland overcame Slovakia.
The 2026 M20 EHF Championship was organized as a competition for the 12 best teams that failed to qualify for the M20 EHF EURO, which concluded the same weekend. Both tournaments were held in Pristina, following a round-robin preliminary round contested in groups of six teams, before concluding with 5th/6th and 3rd/4th placement matches and a final.
In the M20 EHF Championship I, the Netherlands went through the tournament unbeaten, winning all five of their preliminary-round matches. Their 31-28 win over third-placed Italy was the only match they won by fewer than nine goals. In the final, the Netherlands faced Estonia, who had recorded four wins in the preliminary round, and maintained control throughout, preserving the six-goal lead they had built in the first half to secure the title with a 34-28 victory. Italy had beaten hosts Kosovo by a single goal in the last match of the preliminary round, but the roles were reversed in the 3rd/4th placement match, as host nation Kosovo claimed bronze with a last-second goal, winning 26-25. In the 5th/6th placement match, Georgia — who had lost all of their matches in the preliminary round — drew 28-28 with Montenegro, sending the contest to a penalty shootout, where three successful seven-metre throws secured a 31-30 win and helped Georgia avoid finishing last. The tournament's top scorer was Kosovo's Olsi Mulaj with 46 goals, while the Netherlands' leading scorer was Marek Skwarczynski with 42.
In the M20 EHF Championship II, Finland and Slovakia both advanced to the final with four wins and one defeat apiece in the preliminary round. Finland had beaten Slovakia 30-22 in their preliminary-round meeting, though a subsequent defeat to Bulgaria took some shine off that result. In the final, Slovakia came back from 12-8 down to trail just 14-13 at halftime, but could not close the gap further. Finland maintained a lead of between one and three goals for the remainder of the match and sealed the title with a 30-26 win, capped by a goal from Oliver Aalto. In the 3rd/4th placement match between Belgium and Bulgaria, who had drawn in the preliminary round, Bulgaria — with more in reserve — took control to secure the win.
Netherlands and Finland crowned champions at the M20 Men's EHF Championship
At the tournament held in Pristina, the Netherlands beat Estonia in the final to win the M20 EHF Championship I title. In the second category, Finland defeated Slovakia to claim the trophy.
The Netherlands' performance at the M20 EHF Championship I stood out not just on the scoreboard but in tactical discipline. Winning four of five matches by margins of nine goals or more is a rare show of consistency at youth level. Finland's story, by contrast, rested on a more measured final performance; holding off Slovakia's second-half comeback attempt until the closing seconds suggests a young squad capable of keeping its composure under pressure. Championships at this level serve as a useful barometer for how nations' investment in youth development is translating into tangible results.
