How it unfolded
Denmark had won four straight world championships and two Olympic golds since 2019, but the European title alone had eluded it for 14 years, since 2012. The 2026 tournament was co-hosted by Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and Denmark filled that gap by beating Germany 34-27 in the February 1 final at Herning's Jyske Bank Boxen. The first half was a tight, two-goal affair at 18-16 before Denmark pulled away in the second half. Tournament MVP Mathias Gidsel set a new European Championship single-tournament scoring record with 68 goals, adding 14 more to the 54-goal record he had shared with Portugal's Martim Costa at the 2024 tournament just two years earlier. Croatia won bronze, and Iceland returned to medal contention for the first time in 16 years, finishing fourth. For Denmark, this was its third European title overall.
Why it still matters
This match best sums up the speed-driven era that has run since the 2016 rules change. The two finalists combined for 61 goals, and one individual player scored 68 in a single tournament. Compared with the 37 combined goals of the two finalists in the 1972 Munich final, it shows exactly how far this sport has come in half a century. At the same time, by adding the continental title to its world and Olympic titles, Denmark became the first team since France to hold every major title simultaneously.