Hungary finished first at the 2026 OTP Cup preparation tournament in Budapest, completing a perfect campaign with three wins from three matches.
The hosts entered the tournament as clear favourites, with Serbia bringing a rejuvenated squad under new head coach Vladimir Vujasinovic, while Georgia and the Netherlands completed the four-team field. Serbia finished second, the Netherlands took third place, and Georgia ended the tournament without points.
Hungary and Georgia used the event as part of their preparations for the World Cup Final Eight in Sydney. Serbia are building towards the Mediterranean Games in Italy in late August, while the Netherlands will not compete at an official competition this summer.
The tournament’s key game came in the second round, when Hungary faced Serbia in a rematch of the 2026 European Championship final, although the squads were very different. Serbia had only two European champions in Budapest, Vasilije Martinovic and Glusac, while Hungary head coach Zsolt Varga used six players from the Belgrade final. Gergo Zalanki, returning to the national team, also featured for Hungary.
After a balanced opening quarter, which ended 2:2, Hungary took control in the second period and built an 8:3 halftime lead. Both teams scored five goals in the third quarter, before Serbia won the final period, but Hungary’s advantage was already decisive. The hosts claimed a 17:13 victory. Martinovic was the match’s top scorer with six goals, while Krisztian Manhercz led Hungary with four.
Hungary had opened the tournament with a dominant 21:12 win over the Netherlands and closed with a high-scoring 24:17 victory over Georgia, despite defensive issues.
Serbia beat Georgia 21:10 in the opening round and then secured second place with a convincing 22:7 win over the Netherlands. The closest match of the tournament came between the Netherlands and Georgia, with the Dutch edging a 15:14 thriller.
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