Portugal’s handball team is set to take on Romania and Israel in their final Euro 2026 qualifiers. The matches are scheduled for May 8 and 11 in Constanta, Romania, both kicking off at 5 p.m. Lisbon time. Coach Paulo Pereira has called up eight new faces, including five players making their senior team debut.
New Faces and Veteran Returns
Gabriel Viana from TuS Ferndorf in Germany, Miguel Neves from Saint-Raphael VAR HB in France, Vasco Costa from Hammarby IF in Sweden, António Machado from MarÃtimo SAD, and José Ferreira from FC Porto are the newcomers.
Viana, Neves, and Ferreira are fresh from the youth teams.
Gustavo Oliveira from Valladolid in Spain, Diogo Silva from KIF Kolding in Denmark, and Jenilson Monteiro from Limoges HB in France are back after about two years.
Aiming for Top Spot
Portugal has already secured a Euro 2026 spot. They want to top their group to get a better draw.
“We’d like to finish first because it could give us an edge in the championship,” Pereira said.
The team’s European performances were uncertain when Pereira made his picks, so he protected some regulars from burnout.
Building for the Future
Pereira is using this chance to give new players a look.
Three debutants – Viana, Neves, and Ferreira – have come up through Portugal’s youth teams.
The team now has players spread across Europe. Pereira is happy to see this growth.
Portugal is heading to its eighth straight European Championship.