Handball EURO 2026: Croatia beat the Netherlands to eye main round – EHF EURO

After an early scare against Georgia, Croatia were tested again, this time against the Netherlands. However, they managed to pull ahead with a late surge in their second match of the Men’s EHF EURO 2026, defeating the Netherlands in a decisive battle for progression.
Led by team captain Ivan Martinović, Croatia created a gap in the 53 minute and held firmly to seal the win, inflicting a second defeat on the Netherlands and ending their hopes of reaching the main round in Malmö.
GROUP E
H2H: 1-2-3
Top scorers: Rutger Ten Velde 8/10 (NED); Ivan Martinović 9/13 (CRO)
Goalkeeper saves: Matthias Rex Dorgelo 8/37, Jorick Pol 0/5 (NED); Dominik Kuzmanović 8/35, Matej Mandić 0/2 (CRO)
POTM presented by Grundfos: Ivan Martinović (CRO)

Croatia arrived at the European Championship carrying high expectations and public pressure following their silver medal run at the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship. While their EHF EURO opener did not fully convince, the result mattered more than the impression — and Croatia delivered again when it counted the most.
The contest against the Netherlands was anything but straightforward. Croatia had not beaten the Dutch since 2015, when they claimed a 27:24 win in the EHF EURO Qualifiers, with the following three meetings producing two draws and one Dutch victory.
This time was no different, as the Netherlands pushed Croatia for 50 minutes, but then the Croats finally broke the Dutch resistance to secure two vital points and get a step closer to a main round place. If Sweden later in the day beat Georgia, both are qualified.
The Croatian hero? Team captain Ivan Martinović, who had an incredible game netting in every decisive moment, when it looked like Croatia came to a stall, particulary in the 53rd minute when he scored for 29:25. The right back finished on nine, bringing his EHF EURO tally to 60.
You said no to using cookies or similar tools that help improve your experience. To see this content, you would need to update your Privacy Preferences.
Photos © kolektiff images
You said no to using cookies or similar tools that help improve your experience. To see this content, you would need to update your Privacy Preferences.
Groups A and C wrap up on Monday, with all four teams in Herning still in the running; in Malmö, the Netherlands take on Croatia
Co-hosts Sweden opened their Men’s EHF EURO 2026 campaign with a victory in front of 11,800 fans in Malmö
Croatia got off the mark at the Men’s EHF EURO 2026 with a 32:29 win over Georgia in the opening match of group E in Malmö.
With an impressive offensive performance, France outplayed Norway to finish first in group C of the Men’s EHF EURO 2026 preliminary round.
Austria put on a great performance in group A in Herning to get a victory over Serbia at the Men’s EHF EURO 2026, leaving the main round lin…
After losing their first two games, Czechia defeated Ukraine in the last preliminary round match of the Men’s EHF EURO 2026 to go home with…
Two main round tickets will be decided on Tuesday: here’s what teams in Men’s EHF EURO 2026 groups B and D need to do to secure a seat.
The end of the preliminary round is already in sight, and on Monday groups A and C will play round 3 – while group E in Malmö go into round…
Montenegro’s player Risto Vujačić is suspended for one match following a red card in Sunday’s Men’s EHF EURO 2026 match against the Faroe Is…

source