Salvador Salvador: "Portugal are ready for the podium"

Now, the expectations are high for the Iberian nation as they prepare for the Men’s EHF EURO 2026. One of the key players in Paulo Pereira’s squad is Sporting Clube de Portugal's long-standing captain, Salvador Salvador, who thinks the Heróis do Mar are ready to make their dreams come true.

"I believe we have the necessary skills and determination to compete for a medal. We have a lot of individual talent, and if we can turn that into collective strength, just as we did in the last IHF World Championship, then we will have everything we need,” says Salvador.

“We know how tough each game will be, particularly in a tournament where we play every other day, but we're ambitious and we dream of winning that medal. I think we have a team that combines experience and youth. We have a very strong and cohesive team spirit, and a diverse group of players. We have players who are strong in one-on-one situations, good shooters, effective wingers, two completely different goalkeepers and powerful pivots.

“So, I think we have a lot of individual talent. If we can transform that into collective quality and bring out the strengths of each player, we can indeed aspire to win that medal.”

Hard work paying off

Portugal's meteoric rise in handball did not happen overnight. The 24-year-old cites hard work at club level as the main reason for the national team’s development, both at senior and youth level.

"Things in the clubs started to be worked on quite well, with quality beginning to appear more and more in Portuguese clubs and Portuguese athletes growing more and more,” he says.

“FC Porto had a few years in the EHF Champions League where they performed exceptionally well. Sporting CP are now at a very high level, as are Portuguese players, who are increasingly valued and performing better than ever. We are moving to the best leagues in the world and improving all the time,” Salvador adds.

“Fortunately, the players who have performed well recently have also brought a lot of quality to the national team. Therefore, I think the Portuguese national teams have been performing at an increasingly high level, as evidenced by our performance in the last World Cup. This is not only the case in the senior World Cup, but also in the youth World and European Championships for the U21 and U19. Portugal has done very well, and this shows that Portugal is getting more popular in the world of handball.”

Portugal are in EHF EURO 2026 group B alongside co-hosts Denmark, North Macedonia, and Romania.

"We have a difficult group, we are playing against possibly the biggest favourite to win the competition, Denmark, who are also playing at home, then we face two teams that also have their own goals and that we know will not make life easy for us, Romania and North Macedonia.

“We are aware of the level of the teams in our group, we are aware of the level of play in a Euro, and we are also aware of what we want and the goals we have set for ourselves. So, I think it will be a difficult group, particularly because we are up against the biggest favourite, but we are very determined to fight and we are very committed to advancing to the main round," analyses Salvador.

After finishing seventh two years ago, reaching the main round is Portugal's first goal — but Salvador says the squad are keeping their feet firmly on the ground.

"I believe that expectations are set high, both for the group and for those watching from the outside. The main goal now is to maintain good results, given that we have been consistently present at this stage of the competitions and have become a familiar sight,” he adds.

“We made history at the last IHF World Championship, and we want to do the same at this Euro. We aspire to win a medal, of course, but we also know how difficult that will be in a tournament full of high-quality teams.

“As for our ultimate goal, I think we'll take it step by step. The first big goal is to get through to the main round. In the main round, it's to fight for every game that comes our way, because the draw isn't easy either and, as I said, knowing our qualities, knowing everything we've been working on, I think the big goal is to do better than the last EURO. If we can fight for medals, as we did in the last IHF World Championship, even better."

Life-changing motivation

2025 has been a life-changing year for Salvador, who recently became a father.

"I think it's the best thing life could have given me, being a parent. It has made me more mature, and given me a different perspective, to a certain extent, a different way of looking at life, of seeing certain things. It has clearly become my priority. And obviously, it brings a lot of responsibilities, even more than I already had.

“It gives me extra motivation for everything I aspire to, how I want to be on the pitch, for everything I've become off the pitch, too. And I think that being a parent so young will also help me grow in everything, and in a way I'm extremely happy that my daughter can still see me as a handball player, that she can see me achieve all the goals I want to achieve, and that I hope will happen. So my big goal is to be a father my daughter can be proud of,” he says.

Even though Salvador is only 24 years old, the left back has been Sporting CP's captain for five seasons now. That responsibility shaped his character early on and helped him deal with pressure, both at club and international level with Portugal.

"I don't feel any pressure on an individual level. I don't think we feel any pressure on a collective level either,” Salvador asserts.

“I think things have been happening naturally. I believe that the growth that has been talked about and continues to be talked about has happened because of the great work that has been done. I really think that, on an individual level, we have a lot of quality and, fortunately, more and more young players are coming through to help in this cycle that has been created.

“So I don't think it's a question of pressure, it's a question of hard work. We want to play at the highest level and in this type of competition it's normal to feel the pressure and you have to know how to play with the pressure. So, on an individual level, I feel calm and very happy to be able to represent Portugal and help our national team in any situation. And on a collective level, I also think we should just feel proud to be able to represent our country and play in another major competition," says Salvador.

Salvador says mental preparation is extremely important for success in handball.

"For the sport we play, the physical element is clearly one of the most important, but a player can have all the physical conditions and mentally not so strong, and then things end up not going so well. It's very important to be mentally prepared for failure but also for success,” he notes.

“This sport is often an avalanche of feelings. And I think there are many players who can, and do, get lost along the way, largely due to psychological factors. We play one of the most complete sports, both tactically, physically and psychologically. We have many aspects that are extremely important and that will ultimately connect to what each person aspires to be or what the best players end up becoming.

“Each piece, or each aspect, has its place in the puzzle. I think it's extremely important for us to realise that everything here is at play and that if we want to be among the best, we have to work on both the psychological and physical aspects,” Salvador says.

Achieving dreams

The dream of an international medal is driving Salvador and his teammates on into the EHF EURO, with the 24-year-old keen to keep making his dreams come true.

“One of my childhood dreams, which was to become a professional handball player, has come true. I had the dream of playing for the club I love, and it happened when I was very young. I think my dreams, or my big goals, ended up coming true, and I kept setting new goals for myself.

“I really wanted to play for the national team, to stand out in the national team, to help my country make history. Fortunately, at the last World Cup, that was also possible,” he says.

“I try to live each day to the fullest, to give my all in everything I do. As a player, I try my best to evolve, with each passing day, each phase, each moment, each season.

“At national team level, I aspire to and would love to win a medal for our team. But anyway, the work continues. With the life we lead, we never know what tomorrow will bring, so I think that right now I'm working to remain an option, to continue giving my all, whether it's for Sporting or our national team," concludes Salvador.

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