The Champions League Grows to 24 Teams, and Vardar Returns to the Elite Stage After Four Years

The Champions League expands to 24 teams

The men's EHF Champions League expands from 16 to 24 teams from the 2026/27 season, split into six groups of four. The confirmed line-up gathers the usual powers - Barcelona, PSG, Magdeburg, Veszprém, Kiel, Aalborg - but also several Balkan representatives, among them Partizan and Vardar. More teams means more matches, more money and more room for surprises, but also a bigger gap between the giants and those who come just to take part. The question with every such expansion is the same: does growth make the competition better or just longer?

Barcelona won its 12th trophy in Cologne

At the Final Four in Cologne, Barcelona beat Füchse Berlin 37:34 and lifted its record 12th trophy in the Champions League. In the third-place match, Magdeburg overcame Aalborg 32:26. Barcelona's centre back Domen Makuc was named MVP, while the top scorer was Mathias Gidsel of Füchse with 161 goals - an all-time seasonal record. The semifinal between Magdeburg and Füchse drew 20,122 spectators to the LANXESS arena, a record attendance. The numbers are impressive, but behind them stands the same truth - at the very top of European handball, the same few names keep circling.

The women's EHF EURO 2026 with five host countries

The women's EHF EURO 2026 will be held from 3 to 20 December, and for the first time in history with five host countries - Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Turkey. Group C is played in Antalya, where host Turkey opens the whole tournament against Greece. Expanding the number of hosts shows ambition, but also a logistical challenge the kind handball has rarely seen. For fans in the region this is another winter story worth following, especially given how close the Turkish host is to us. Whether more hosts means a bigger audience or just more empty seats - December will tell.

Vardar officially returns to the Champions League

After a four-year break, RK Vardar officially returns to the elite EHF Champions League. For a club that once won the strongest club title in Europe, this return is more than sports news - it's an attempt to win back part of a lost identity. On 10 August, Vardar starts selling season tickets for the Champions League and for the domestic championship. Fans who remember different times now get a reason to fill the arena again. The question is whether the club behind the brand also has a squad worthy of the company it's joining, or whether the return is for now only on paper.

Pelister has reinforced with a Serbian international

Eurofarm Pelister has announced the arrival of Serbian international Aleksa Kolaković, a new centre back with experience gained in France. The Bitola club clearly states that the goal isn't just to take part, but to build championship ambitions. Bringing in a player with international experience is a signal that Pelister wants to be a serious contender in the domestic Super League, where the derby with Ohrid is scheduled as early as the first round. Macedonian handball has long needed more than one strong club. If both Vardar and Pelister raise their level at the same time, the domestic championship may finally get derbies worth watching.