Today, December 21, the Ukrainian national handball team as part of their preparation for the final stage of Euro-2026 played a friendly match against Portugal. 

As a reminder, on December 19 in today's opponents' meeting, it was recorded a draw (1:1). In the second friendly, unfortunately, our team could not hold off the current European champions. Although after the first half, the hosts had only a minimal advantage. After halftime, the Portuguese developed their lead, and goals by Korson and Shved at the end of the match only slightly lifted the spirits of the guests.

International handball friendly match

Portugal — Ukraine — 5:2 (1:0)

Goals: Pauletta (19), Brito (28), Neves (31), T. Pazo (33, 39) — Korson (33), Shved (38).

Portugal: Edu, T. Pazo, B. Coelho, Paní, Pauletta; Correia, B. Pazo, Kutchi, A. Coelho, Silva, Rocha, Afonso, Miguel Angel, Brito, Neves, Goysh.

Ukraine: Savenko, Pryhodko, Mikituk, Korson, Farenjuk; Sukhov, Mikituk, Abakshyn, Shved, Belimov, Zhuk, Farenjuk, Verkhyev, Semenchenko, Shoturma, Pryhodko, Chernyavsky.

Schedule of Ukraine's matches in the group stage of Euro-2026

January 22, 2026

Armenia — Ukraine (17:00) 

January 25, 2026

Ukraine — Lithuania (17:00)

January 28, 2026

Czech Republic — Ukraine (20:30)

Match start time — Kyiv time.

Euro-2026. Group stage

Group A: Latvia, Croatia, Georgia, France.

Group B: Lithuania, Armenia, Czech Republic, Ukraine.

Group C: Slovenia, Belarus, Spain, Belgium.

Group D: Italy, Hungary, Portugal, Poland.  

The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals.

Quarter-finals

1. Winner of Group B — second place in Group A

2. Winner of Group A — second place in Group B

3. Winner of Group C — second place in Group D

4. Winner of Group D — second place in Group C

Semi-finals

5. Winner of match 2 — winner of match 4

6. Winner of match 1 — winner of match 3

Third place match

7. Winner of match 5 — winner of match 6

Final

8. Winner of match 5 — winner of match 6

As a reminder, Euro-2026 will take place from January 21 to February 7 next year on the courts in Riga, Latvia, Kaunas, Lithuania, and Ljubljana, Slovenia.