2025–26 Women's EHF Champions League

The 2025–26 Women's EHF Champions League will be the 33rd edition of Europe's premier club handball tournament, running from September 2025 to June 2026.

Győri Audi ETO KC are the defending champions

The tournament will use the same format as the previous seasons. The competition begins with a group stage featuring sixteen teams divided into two groups. Matches will be played in a double round-robin system with home-and-away fixtures, fourteen in total for each team. In Groups A and B, the top two teams automatically qualify for the quarter-finals, with teams ranked 3rd to 6th enter the playoff round.

The knockout stage include four rounds: the playoffs, quarter-finals, and a final-four tournament comprising two semifinals and the final. In the playoffs, eight teams will be paired against each other in two-legged home-and-away matches (third-placed in group A plays sixth-placed group B; fourth-placed group A plays fifth-placed group B, etc.). The four aggregate winners of the playoffs advance to the quarterfinals, joining the top-two teams of Groups A and B. The eight quarterfinalist teams will be paired against each other in two-legged home-and-away matches, with the four aggregate winners qualifying to the final-four tournament.

In the final four tournament, the semifinals and the final will be played as single matches at a pre-selected host venue.

The rankings are based on the performances from the three most recent seasons.^[1]

• Associations 1–9 have their league champion qualify for the group stage and apply up to two wildcards.
• The best-ranked association in the Women's EHF European League can have its league champion and runner-up qualified for the group stage and can apply for one wildcard.
• Associations below the top 9 have their league champion apply for a wildcard.

19 teams applied for a place, with nine having a fixed place.^[3] The final list was announced on 24 June 2025.^[4]

The fixed place for Russia was vacant since the country and its clubs were not admitted to participate in the EHF competitions due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[5]

• ^WC Accepted wildcards

The 16 teams were drawn into two groups of eight. The draw took place on 27 June 2025.^[4][6]

In the group stage, teams were ranked according to points (2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). After completion of the group stage, if two or more teams have scored the same number of points, the ranking was determined as follows:

1. Highest number of points in matches between the teams directly involved;
2. Superior goal difference in matches between the teams directly involved;
3. Highest number of goals scored in matches between the teams directly involved;
4. Superior goal difference in all matches of the group;
5. Highest number of plus goals in all matches of the group;
6. Drawing of Lots

This season, nine national associations are present. This was the first season since 2020–21 to have two teams from Germany in the Champions League. Borussia Dortmund made their return to the Champions League for the first time since 2021–22. Ikast Håndbold and DVSC Schaeffler return after a one edition absence.

The final four will held at the MVM Dome, Budapest, Hungary on 6 and 7 June 2026.

• 2025–26 EHF Champions League
• 2025–26 EHF European League
• 2025–26 EHF European Cup
• 2025–26 Women's EHF European League
• 2025–26 Women's EHF European Cup

• Official website