Iceland took the court against Croatia with a perfect record of wins behind them, having topped group F ahead of fellow main round group II side Hungary, Italy and Poland. But it was not only Iceland’s string of victories at the EHF EURO 2026 that came to an end with the defeat to Croatia — it was their longest winning run at the Men’s EHF EURO, which stretched to the main round in 2024.
In 2024, Iceland did not taste victory in the main round until the third game in that stage, and that win came, coincidentally, against Croatia. They followed that with a victory over Austria that meant they ultimately missed playing the final weekend based only on goal difference.
While not included in the longest winning run at the final tournament, Iceland also took six wins in six games in the EHF EURO 2026 Qualifiers, making the loss on Friday the first in any EHF EURO format in two years.