The Hungarian men’s handball team secured a decisive victory Friday night, defeating romania 33-23 in a Győr warm-up match ahead of the European Championship. The game also served as a moment of remembrance for Kálmán Róth, a celebrated figure in Hungarian handball who recently passed away.With the tournament rapidly approaching-beginning next Thursday with matches against Poland, Italy, and Iceland-the win provides a confidence boost for Hungary as they prepare to compete on an international stage co-hosted by Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
The Hungarian men’s handball team defeated Romania 33–23 in a European Championship warm-up match Friday night in Győr.
Bence Imre and Arián Andó were left off the roster for the Hungarian squad preparing for the European Championship, which begins next Thursday. Team captain Bence Bánhidi, who is battling an injury, was named to the team but watched the match from the bench.
The match began with a moment of silence honoring Kálmán Róth, the former coach of the Győri ETO KC and the Hungarian women’s youth national teams, and Győr’s youth director.
Romania led only once, at 4–3, and the score was tied at 5–5 before Hungary surged ahead with a 7–0 run. Kristóf Palasics’s saves and strong defensive play fueled the early advantage. Hungary then made substitutions, bringing in a younger, less experienced lineup that conceded three quick goals. Despite a lack of cohesion, the team managed to maintain a five-goal lead at halftime.
At halftime, Máte Lékai, Gábor Ancsin, and Zsolt Balogh, who recently retired from the national team, were honored in a special ceremony.
The second half began with a similar lineup to the one that finished the first, with László Bartucz and Miklós Rosta providing veteran leadership. Hungary opened the half with a four-goal streak, and the teams traded scores until the 46th minute, when Hungary extended its lead to ten goals – a margin they would maintain for the remainder of the match. This dominant performance sets a positive tone as Hungary prepares for the championship.
László Bartucz scored 11 goals, and Kristóf Palasics made five saves. Patrik Ligetvári was named the Hungarian team’s best player. For Romania, Daniel Stanciuc led all scorers with eight goals, Ionut Iancu added six, and Mihai Popescu recorded five saves.
This was the 81st meeting between the two teams, with 31 wins for Hungary, 37 for Romania, and 13 draws. The two teams will meet again Saturday in a closed-door scrimmage.
Hungary will face Poland, Italy, and Iceland in Group C of the tournament, co-hosted by Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, on January 17th, 19th, and 20th, respectively, all at 8:30 PM. The top two teams from each group will advance to the main round – according to MTI.
Handball, Friendly Match
Hungary–Romania 33–23 (16–11)
- Hungarian top scorers: Rosta 6, Krakovszki B., Rodríguez 4-4, Hanusz, Szilágyi 3-3, Ónodi-Jánoskúti, Papp, Ilic, Szita 2-2, Pergel, Ligetvári, Fazekas, Bodó, Lukács 1-1
- Shots/Goals: 50/33, and 54/23 respectively
- Penalty Goals: 1/1, and 5/3 respectively
- Penalties: 6 minutes, and 6 minutes respectively
(Featured Image: Szilágyi Benjámin (C) of Hungary and Andrei Buzle (R) of Romania during the Hungary – Romania men’s handball friendly match at the Győr Audi Arena on January 9, 2026. Krizsán Csaba, MTI )
