The European Handball Federation confirmed a few weeks ago the new system for distributing places in the men’s EHF Champions League from the 2026–27 season onwards, a reform that includes the option of awarding invitations to non-European clubs. The decision coincides with the expansion of the competition to 24 teams and, for the first time explicitly, opens the door to the participation of clubs outside Europe, including those from the Middle East.
The change does not imply immediate inclusion, but it does introduce a new variable into the European ecosystem. The EHF will keep up to four open places, in addition to those allocated to federations without a guaranteed spot, allowing it to explore new additions beyond the traditional map of European handball, in a context of product growth and a search for greater international reach.
More markets, with demanding standards
The Champions League will be played in six groups of four teams, maintaining the total number of matches while reducing one round in the spring to ease the players’ workload. “The Champions League with 24 teams remains the premium competition of European handball and will reach more markets than in the past,” explained Michael Wiederer, president of the EHF, when justifying a reform designed to balance quality, planning and sustainability.
The possibility of including clubs from outside Europe is one of the most novel elements of the new model. Wiederer stressed that this option “requires very careful consideration”, in coordination with the International Handball Federation, other continental confederations and the national federations involved. Any admission would also be limited by criteria of geographical proximity and by the requirement to compete “at the highest level”.
The EHF has also detailed that all places, including invitations, will be subject to mandatory minimum criteria. These include arena infrastructure, the country’s TV market, previous sporting results and the club’s ability to manage its product and digital environment. A framework that points to sporting standards, but also to visibility and commercial development factors.
A context that encourages looking beyond Europe
This scenario is not exclusive to handball. In basketball, the EuroLeague has already admitted Dubai Basketball, incorporating a new market into its competitive ecosystem. In football, while the UEFA Champions League maintains its continental framework, its recent reform has increased the number of teams and matches with the aim of boosting the tournament’s commercial value. In other indoor sports, such as futsal, Asian clubs have also recently been added to European competitions, reinforcing the idea that these models are not entirely new.
Outside handball, professional cycling offers another example of the region’s economic potential. The sponsorship of UAE Team Emirates in the UCI WorldTour has become one of the strongest structures in the international peloton, reflecting the financial capacity of the Middle East to sustain top-level projects in global competitions. Meanwhile, the long-standing participation of Israel in European competitions shows that geographical criteria have not always been absolute in continental sport.
The growth of Saudi Arabia
From a sporting perspective, handball in Asia has gained visibility and competitiveness in recent years, providing further context for the consideration of Middle Eastern teams in European tournaments. Over the past two decades, Saudi Arabia have finished on the podium of the AHF Asian Men’s Handball Championship on four occasions: 2002, 2008, 2012 and 2022. The bronze medal in the 2022 edition, held in Dammam, was particularly significant, as it secured qualification for the IHF Men’s World Championship in 2023. At that World Championship, Saudi Arabia were one of the Asian teams in attendance, adding international experience after several intermittent appearances since 1997, with finishes ranging from around 20th place to the mid-table of the global rankings.
At club level, Saudi teams such as Khaleej Club have taken the region’s handball onto the world stage. Under the guidance of Dimitris Dimitroulias, the club finished sixth at the IHF Men’s Super Globe in 2022 and 2023 and fifth in 2024, in addition to winning the Asian Club League Handball Championship in 2024 and finishing runners-up in 2025. “Asia has become one of the pillars of world handball, both financially and in terms of sporting development,” Dimitroulias said, highlighting improvements in leagues, budgets and competitive level across the region.
With this new regulatory framework, the EHF leaves the door open to exploring new territories in the future, always under strict sporting and organisational standards. Whether the inclusion of Middle Eastern clubs becomes a broader trend will be defined in the coming cycles, as European handball continues to assess the balance between tradition, expansion and economic sustainability.
