Israel's U21 Handball Team Loses to Romania, Fails to Advance to Upper Group

Israel's under-21 handball team was defeated by Romania 39-31 on July 11, 2026, resulting in a third-place finish in their preliminary group and missing qualification for the upper group stage. The match took place during the early rounds of the tournament, where Israel started strong with Tal Ekstein scoring two early goals. However, Ekstein was soon given a two-minute suspension, allowing Romania to take a 9-6 lead. Despite efforts by goalkeeper Yonatan Benshtrit and players like Yonatan Pelech, Israel trailed 17-16 at halftime.

The second half saw Israel struggle offensively, failing to score for over five minutes and falling behind 22-16. Although Ariel Shaharbani and others managed to score, Romania maintained a seven-goal lead that secured their advancement to the upper group. Israel will now compete in the intermediate group alongside Poland, the Czech Republic, and Bosnia, with the top two teams from this group advancing to the 9-16 placement matches, which offer a path to the World Championship.

Key Israeli scorers included Tal Ekstein with 8 goals, Loic Bexu with 6, and Yonatan Pelech and Asaf Sharon each with 5. Goalkeepers Alon Ratzbi and Yonatan Benshtrit made 4 and 3 saves respectively, while Romanian goalkeeper Denis Stefan stopped 16 shots. The Israeli team’s defense and goalkeeping were insufficient to contain Romania’s offense, which ultimately celebrated their victory and progression in the tournament.