The Swiss handball team starts the European Championships next Friday. Their ambitions are greater than ever before. But it's not just the men's team that is undergoing rapid development.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The Swiss men's national team is starting the 2026 European Handball Championship with high ambitions and wants to reach the main round for the first time.
- Both the men's and women's national teams are benefiting from consistent professionalization, the promotion of young talent and structural development, including through academies at the OYM.
- The Swiss Handball Federation invests equally in both genders and is aiming for international success in the long term - such as a medal at the 2032 Olympics for the women and a place in the top 8 for the men.
The 2026 European Handball Championship kicks off on Thursday in Norway, Denmark and Sweden - and Switzerland's role has changed noticeably. Unlike in previous tournaments, the national team will no longer arrive as underdogs, but as a team that has consistently earned its place in international handball over several years.
A look at the recent past shows why. At Euro 2024, Switzerland made a strong statement with a surprising draw against Olympic champions France and provided one of the most moving moments in Swiss handball in recent years. Even though they failed to make it through to the next round, the message was clear: this team can compete with the best in Europe.
This performance was not an isolated incident. At the 2025 World Cup - also the first major tournament under national coach Andy Schmid - Switzerland confirmed its upward trend. Their entry into the main round and 11th place at the end meant the best World Cup result in 30 years. The average age was also striking: at around 24 years old, Switzerland had the youngest team of the entire tournament.
Major investment - also in the women
The upward trend is no coincidence. A lot has happened in Swiss handball in recent years. And not just for the men. The women's national team recently caused a sensation at the World Championships in the Netherlands, having already wowed the crowds at last year's European Championships at home.
Six years ago, the women's academy was founded at the OYM performance center in Cham. A large proportion of the players in the current women's national team squad have completed their training there, trained professionally and fed themselves professionally.
"There has been a rethink in people's minds. The players have realized that you can also become a professional in Switzerland, go abroad and earn money with handball," says association president Pascal Jenny in an interview with blue Sport. "The players no longer just come to the national team to play for Switzerland. They want to win."
This professionalization is the basis for the sport being where it is today. And the development is far from over. "We have more and more young girls coming to handball. And the women's national team has now become the second flagship of our sport," says Jenny, who is now also a member of the board of the International Handball Federation (IHF). "Today, we invest the same amount of money in the women as we do in the men."
The Swiss Handball Federation has high hopes that the women's national team in particular will be able to take a big step forward in the coming years. "Many women's national teams around the world are still in the process of professionalizing. If you do a good job, you can get to the top of the world faster than in other sports," explains Jenny. "Our clear goal is to play for medals at the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane - that's when many of our national players will be in their prime handball age."
Switzerland wants to become a top 8 nation
The Swiss men's team is also on the rise, with their successful qualification for the 2026 European Championship symbolizing a new level of consistency. The national team is back on the European handball map - not thanks to individual exploits, but through consistent performances against established opponents.
"In Andy Schmid, we have a courted former world star as our coach," says Jenny. "And meanwhile, we have a wide range of players in the squad that we can say: We can advance to the top of the world."
In order to remain successful in the long term, an academy will also be launched for the men next summer - also at the OYM. Under highly professional structures, the "professional handball career" is to be made even more attractive to the next generation. This also shows that the path to the top 8 in the world is to be a consistent one.
Ready for the European Championships
Switzerland recently won the Yellow Cup, the preparatory tournament for the European Championship, with two victories (against Ukraine and Bahrain) and a draw (against North Macedonia). Schmid's team will therefore go into the European Championships with a broad chest.
The Swiss will kick off the tournament on Friday evening in Oslo against the Faroe Islands. The second game against Slovenia follows on Sunday, then the preliminary round concludes on Tuesday against Montenegro. The goal is clear: the Swiss want to finish at least second in their group and thus reach the main round of a European Championship for the first time.
Home European Championship 2028 as the big highlight
Pascal Jenny also has his sights set on the 2028 European Championships in his own country. "That will probably be the biggest highlight for Swiss handball in the last ten years and the next ten years," says the association boss. "This is big business. The halls will be sold out and there will be huge interest."
Swiss handball is looking to the future with hope. With a successful European Championship, the next step towards the top of the world could now be taken.
