The semifinals of the 2026 European Women’s Championships are set, with the Netherlands, Greece, Italy and Hungary booking their places in the last four after a dramatic final round of Group Phase II in Funchal.
Greece, Hungary and Italy had already all but secured their spots on Friday, but the reigning champions from the Netherlands were pushed to the limit, needing a point from their final game to progress.
That point came despite a penalty shootout defeat to Spain. The match ended 13–13 in regular time, before Spain won the shootout 3–0 (16–13 overall). The Dutch finished top of Group F with seven points, ahead of Hungary, while Spain—despite the shootout win—missed out on the semifinals.
Group E: Greece and Italy in control
The favourites in Group E had little trouble in their final group matches.
Greece sealed first place with a dominant 23–6 win over Croatia. Vasiliki Plevritou scored six goals, matching Croatia’s total on her own.
Italy were even more convincing, overpowering France 24–5, with Claudia Ranalli netting five times.
Standings:
- Greece – 9 pts
- Italy – 6 pts
- Croatia – 3 pts
- France – 0 pts
Group F: Spain win the battle, Netherlands win the war
The headline match of the day was a rematch of the 2024 European Championship final between Spain and the Netherlands—this time with a semifinal place at stake.
Spain knew they needed at least a two-goal win to progress. The Netherlands, meanwhile, were in a far stronger position before the first whistle.
After an early Dutch opener, Spain responded well. Ortiz scored four times to give Spain a 5–1 lead midway through the second quarter. Just as Spain looked in control, the Dutch clawed their way back, with Kitty Joustra cutting the deficit to 5–4 at the buzzer.
Joustra levelled early in the third quarter, and the match became a tug-of-war. The Netherlands led 9–8 going into the final period, but Spain briefly revived their hopes by opening up a two-goal gap at 12–10.
Once again, the Dutch responded—scoring three straight goals to move 13–12 ahead in the final minute. Ortiz struck with 65 seconds left to force penalties, but Spain’s perfect shootout could not change the bigger picture.
Ortiz finished with seven goals, while Joustra scored five for the Netherlands.
Earlier in the group, Hungary pulled away from Israel after a tight opening to win 22–6.
Standings:
- Netherlands – 7 pts
- Hungary – 6 pts
- Spain – 5 pts
- Israel – 0 pts
Semifinals confirmed
The semifinals, to be played on Tuesday, are:
- Greece vs Hungary
- Netherlands vs Italy
The 5th–8th place semifinals will see Spain vs France and Croatia vs Israel.
9th–16th place classification
In Group G, Germany defeated Serbia in a penalty shootout, but Serbia’s single point was enough to hold onto first place. Serbia led 8–6 at halftime before Germany edged ahead late, only for Jovana Radonjić to equalise in the final minute.
Standings:
- Serbia – 7 pts
- Germany – 6 pts
- Türkiye – 5 pts
- Slovakia – 0 pts
Group H was more straightforward. Great Britain controlled their match against Portugal throughout, winning 15–8 to finish top of the group.
Standings:
- Great Britain – 9 pts
- Portugal – 6 pts
- Switzerland – 3 pts
- Romania – 0 pts
What’s next
The 9th–16th place matches will be played on Monday:
- Serbia vs Great Britain (9th)
- Germany vs Portugal (11th)
- Türkiye vs Switzerland (13th)
- Slovakia vs Romania (15th)
Four teams remain in the medal race—and after a weekend like this in Funchal, none of them will be taking their place in the semifinals for granted.
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