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The Scandinavian derby went Iceland’s way, as they defeated Sweden 35:27 in the second round of the EHF EURO 2026 Main Round.
Iceland produced arguably their best half of the tournament, building an early cushion and already leading by three after 10 minutes (6:3). Sweden briefly responded with a 2–0 run to cut it to 6:5 in the 11th minute, but “the Fishermen” quickly answered and stretched the lead to +5 at 12:7 (20’). Iceland closed the opening 30 minutes in the best possible manner, going into the break up 18:12, thanks to a disciplined, physical defence that managed to shut down Sweden’s powerful attack — statistically the second-best at the championship, behind France.
Sweden looked far better after the restart, pushed on by the home crowd and inspired by goalkeeper Andreas Palicka, whose string of big saves gave his team belief. The hosts gradually ate into the deficit and were back within two at 21:19 in the 40th minute.
A timeout by Iceland coach Snorri Guðjónsson had the opposite effect: Gísli Kristjánsson hit the post, and Felix Klar scored on the break to make it 21:20, the closest Sweden had been in a long time and a clear sign that a comeback was possible.
The final 15 minutes turned into a tight, goal-for-goal battle, but Iceland kept Sweden at a “safe” one-to-two-goal distance for most of the stretch. The key moment came in the 48th minute, when Iceland opened it up again to 26:22 (+4) — a gap that proved decisive.
From there, Iceland stayed calm, resisted Sweden’s late pushes, and deservedly secured the win, showing greater focus and determination when it mattered most.
Individually, Iceland were led by Vigo Kristjánsson with 11 goals, while goalkeeper Viktor Gísli Hallgrímsson added 12 saves. For Sweden, Albin Lagergren was the top scorer with five goals.
Iceland – Sweden 35:27 (18:12)
