Iceland at EHF EURO 2026 semi-final!
Iceland beat Slovenia 39:31 in the final round of the main round at the European Championship, becoming – after Denmark – the second team to book a semi-final spot. It also means that, for the first time since 2010 and the Championship in Austria, Iceland will have a chance to fight for medals.
The situation in the group is now as follows: Iceland top the table with seven points, while Croatia sit one point behind but have a game in hand. With a win against Hungary at 18:00, Croatia would almost certainly secure a place at the final weekend, while Sweden would be left out of the top four and would instead play for fifth place.
The conclusion is clear: a Croatia win guarantees a semi-final, while a draw or defeat against Hungary would hand Sweden their “match point” in the game against Switzerland.
As for the game itself, the first half between Iceland and Slovenia was marked by a high-scoring pace and frequent lead changes. Still, Iceland went into the break in the better mood, leading by two at 18:16. Slovenia kept battling until the 35th minute, when they were last within one goal (19:20), but then came an Icelandic surge. By the 40th minute it was 26:20 for the Scandinavians, and it was clear Slovenia didn’t have enough left for another comeback.
For Iceland, Elidi Vidarsson stood out with eight goals, while Slovenia’s top scorer was Domen Novak, who found the net nine times.
Slovenia – Iceland 31:39 (16:18)
Slovenia: Vujović (13 saves), Baznik; Henigman, Janc 6, Tajnik, Jovičić, Kodrin 1, A. Makuc 3, Horžen 7, Grmšek, Cokan, D. Makuc 5, Grbić, Mačkovešek, Novak 9, Suholežnik.
Iceland: Gustavsson, Hallgrímsson (8 saves); Rikhardsson 7, Smárason 3, V. Kristjánsson 1, Elisson 3, G. Kristjánsson 2, Gíslason, Magnússon 7, Gunnarsson, Vidarsson 8, Thorkelsson 4, Arnarsson 1, Einarsson 1, Thrastarson 2, Olafsson.
