MVPs and Young Players of the Season revealed
Inside the EHF

MVPs and Young Players of the Season revealed

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European Handball Federation
26 June 2026, 11:30

Metz Handball’s French international Sarah Bouktit and Barça and Denmark national team goalkeeper Emil Nielsen have been named the MVPs of the 2026 season, after outstanding performances for their clubs and national teams.

Bouktit and Nielsen were named in the Teams of the Season earlier this week as the best women’s line player and best men’s goalkeeper, respectively. They were announced as the MVPs at the draw event for the EHF Champions League 2026/27 group phases on Friday.

CLW26 Winner’S Portraits 4Be376707204 AM
GERNED25 Bronze Medal France Vs Netherlands SP9 8696

Bouktit scored 20 goals at the Raiffeisen Bank EHF FINAL4 2026 as she led Metz to their first EHF Champions League title, and finished second on the overall top scorer standings for the season. She is also a lynchpin of the France national team, at the age of only 23. In December 2025, Bouktit was named All-star Team line player at the World Championship, where she was pivotal in France’s bronze medal. 

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Euro26 Final Denmark Vs Germany MAL7528 AM
CL26M SF2 Aalborg Håndbold Vs Barça Cabe3012a29a UH

Nielsen is the only male player to currently hold the title of European champion, world champion, Olympic champion and EHF Champions League champion. He is consistently among the best shot-stoppers in any competition he plays, and made several crucial saves as Denmark claimed the Men’s EHF EURO 2026 title and in Barça’s triumph at the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2026. This is Nielsen’s second MVP award — he also claimed the prize in 2024.

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CLW26 Final Györi Audi ETO KC Györi Audi ETO KC Vs Metz Handball Fc9317bcea89 JC
GERNED25 Bronze Medal France Vs Netherlands 1JC8619
Euro26 Winner’S Portraits UH25185UH
CL26M SF2 Aalborg Håndbold Vs Barça 98D5e846a966 SG

YOUNG PLAYERS OF THE SEASON

Another Metz Handball and France player, centre back Lylou Borg, has been named the best young female player of the 2025/26 season. Borg joined Metz at the start of the season and went on to play a key role throughout the group phase and knockout rounds, including making three key strikes against CSM Bucuresti in the EHF Champions League Women 2025/26 semi-final. She also appeared in the Women’s EHF EURO 2026 Qualifiers. 

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20260305 Croatia France Dvrorana Brool Video Ff Handball 144

Sporting Clube de Portugal and Portugal right back Francisco “Kiko” Costa has been named the best young male player of the year, winning the award two years after his older brother Martim. Costa was second only to Mathias Gidsel in the top scorer rankings for the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2025/26, scoring 136 goals across the season. He was also named the best young player and All-star right back at the Men’s EHF EURO 2026.

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Euro26 5 6 Portugal Vs Sweden R1JC7566 JC

The MVPs were selected from the Teams of the Season by the European Handball Federation, with the best young players identified separately. The best young player award goes to athletes aged 21 or under.

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CLW26 SF1 Metz Handball Vs CSM Bucuresti 8B9e6d89489c JC
kolektiff images/Jozo Cabraja
CLM26 Final Barça Vs Füchse Berlin 94E90d9ce049 EM
kolektiff images/Eva Manhart
GERNED25 Bronze Medal France Vs Netherlands 1JC6816
IHF/kolektiff images
Euro26 Germany Vs Denmark EM106470 EM
kolektiff images/Eva Manhart
20260304 Industria Kielce Sporting Lisbona (93)
Tomasz Fąfara
20260308 France Croatie Metz Brool Video Ff Handball 253
FFHANDBALL / CONNOR OWENS
CLW26 Final Györi Audi ETO KC Györi Audi ETO KC Vs Metz Handball 82Bb509e16b9 AM
kolektiff images/Anze Malovrh
CL26M SF2 Aalborg Håndbold Vs Barça D002a8db5b9c JC
kolektiff images/Jozo Cabraja
CLW26 SF1 Metz Handball Vs CSM Bucuresti 5Afa20024d07 AM
kolektiff images/Anze Malovrh
Euro26 Germany Vs Denmark EM202565 EM
kolektiff images/Eva Manhart
GERNED25 Bronze Medal France Vs Netherlands SP7 7167
IHF/kolektiff images
Euro26 SF2 Denmark Vs Iceland ER10055 JE
kolektiff images/Jure Erzen
CLW26 SF1 Metz Handball Vs CSM Bucuresti 26Fd9c004d07 AM
kolektiff images/Anze Malovrh
Euro26 Portugal Vs Norway UH27348 UH
kolektiff images/Uros Hocevar

Photos © kolektiff images/Jozo Cabraja/Anze Malovrh/Uros Hocevar/Eva Manhart; IHF/kolektiff images; FFHANDBALL / CONNOR OWENS; João Pedro Morais; Tomasz Fąfara

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