Sebastian Karlsson's Sweden narrowly defeated by Portugal
Handball•
In the EHF Euro 2026 placement match, Sweden lost to Portugal (36-35) in the dying moments of a hard-fought battle in Herning, Denmark.
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S. Karlsson
Third in Group II of the main round played at home in Malmö, the Swedes were keen to end this Euro on a positive note. In this final match, Portugal stood in the way of the Scandinavians, promising a tough battle. One thing is for sure: this duel lived up to all expectations.
Level with the Portuguese at half-time thanks to Sebastian Karlsson's equaliser, and then leading by two goals with three mintutes to go, Sweden went close to clinching fifth place. However, powered by the Costa brothers, the Portuguese showed their determination and self-sacrifice to put three unanswered goals past Michael Apelgren's men. Just when Oscar Bergendahl thought he had sent the two teams into extra time, Martim Costa struck on the buzzer, bringing an entire nation to its feet while leaving the Swedes to process another cruel outcome.
The disappointment is far from total for Sebastian Karlsson and his teammates, who still qualify directly for the 2027 World Cup thanks to their place in the Euros' top six.