Germany beats Iceland: handball preparations for the 2026 European Championship begin!

Germany beats Iceland: handball preparations for the 2026 European Championship begin!

The German national handball team played against Iceland on Thursday, October 30, 2025 at the PSD Bank Arena in Nuremberg. Kick-off was at 7:30 p.m. and ZDF broadcast the game exclusively in a live stream via the ZDF media library and on sportstudio.de. The experienced commentator Martin Schneider led the spectators through the game.

National coach Alfred Gislason, who has his roots in Iceland, emphasized the importance of the matches against the northerners in order to optimally prepare for the upcoming European Handball Championship in 2026. Gislason nominated 18 players for this game, including captain Johannes Golla and goalkeeper Andreas Wolff, as well as debutants Tom Kiesler and Lasse Ludwig.

A clear test match win

The German team was in great form and won the first test match with 42:31 (20:14). How ZDF today reported, Germany took control early and led 6-1 after just ten minutes. Wolff delivered an impressive performance in goal, saving three seven-meter penalties in the first half and even scoring a goal from his own half. His support ensured security and the young team proved that they have a good knack for playing at tempo.

Debutant Tim Kiesler from Gummersbach celebrated a successful debut, and Juri Knorr, who became the game's top scorer with nine goals, impressed with his activity. After the break, Germany increased the lead to 25:16 and the game was decided after just 35 minutes. Captain Johannes Golla and Renars Uscins also contributed to the high score, while Wolff made more than 15 saves in total.

Another test in Munich

On Sunday, November 2nd, 2025, Germany and Iceland will meet again in Munich to conclude the course. Both games are important for the German team as it prepares for the 2026 European Handball Championship, which will take place from January 15th to February 1st in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Germany will face strong opponents Austria, Spain and Serbia in the preliminary round. Historically, Germany has had its challenges in the past, particularly against Austria and Spain.

The preparations are already in full swing. Gislason plans to nominate his squad in mid-December to put together the best players for the European Championships. Germany has established itself as a successful team on the European handball scene and is striving for more medals. The team took fourth place at the last home European Championships in 2024 and won silver at the 2024 Olympic Games.

The EM 2026 at a glance

The upcoming European Championships will take place in various cities and countries and are organized by the European Handball Federation. With 24 participating teams, the preliminary round games will be played in Herning, Malmö, Oslo and Kristianstad. Germany will play in Group A against, among others, defending champions Spain. An overview of the groups can be found here:

All handball fans in Germany have the opportunity to purchase tickets via the DHB ticket shop. An exciting year for German handball is coming! If you want to witness the team's top performances, you should memorize the dates and ticket information. The German selection will do everything it can to shine again in international competition.

You can find out more about the preparations and the course of the European Championship on the website of Handball national team and Mercury.