Cyprus defeated Malta clearly, 43:18, on Sunday, following the loss to Great Britain and the narrowest of wins, 22:21, versus Bulgaria in their opener.
With Bulgaria also having recorded a commanding victory against Malta, 30:13, the stage was set for a showdown against Great Britain in the closing game of the tournament — a final of sorts, with the winner to take the second place in the promotion round after Cyprus had secured their ticket to the next stage earlier that day.
The draw was enough for Great Britain to take top spot on the table and therefore at the tournament, and they and Cyprus celebrated a return to the promotion round, after both also contested the stage on the path to the 2024 edition of the Men’s EHF EURO.
Great Britain and Cyprus will be joined in the promotion round, scheduled for January 2026, by the three lowest-ranked teams in Men’s EHF EURO 2026 Qualifiers Phase 2, as well as one side from the IHF Emerging Nations Championship, taking place in the spring of 2025.
Portugal, Spain and Switzerland are all qualified for the Men’s EHF EURO 2028 as co-hosts, and await their 21 opponents for the final tournament. The winners of the EHF EURO 2026 will qualify directly for the next edition, along with 20 teams that make their way from Men’s EHF EURO 2028 Qualifiers Phase 2. The promotion round will see the six qualified teams meet in a series of home-and-away games, with the aggregate winners of the two matches played in each tie progressing to phase 2.
