ArticlesTournament Journal
Nine Days in Salou: The 2026 Men’s European Sixes Championship, Day by Day
Twenty-two men’s national teams are competing in Salou for five European places at the 2027 World Lacrosse Sixes Championships. Twenty teams took the field on opening day: Switzerland stunned Czechia, France survived overtime and 2025 European field champion Israel opened with a demanding win. This is the tournament, day by day.
This rolling report is updated from official match reports and game sheets. Each entry covers only results known at the end of that competition day. Player selections are editorial choices by Follow The Lacrosse, not official awards.
The format. The men’s field has 22 teams in two pools of six and two pools of five. Pool winners advance directly to the quarterfinals; teams finishing second or third enter crossover play-ins for the remaining quarterfinal places. The four quarterfinal winners qualify for the 2027 World Lacrosse Sixes Championships, while the quarterfinal losers play for Europe’s fifth and final berth. Salou is part of the road to LA28, not an Olympic qualifier itself. See the official event format and men’s results and live statistics.
- 22
- Teams in the tournament. Twenty took the field on opening day.
- 9 days
- Competition window. 10–18 November 2026.
- 5 places
- World Sixes berths. Four quarterfinal winners and the fifth-place winner qualify.
Day 1 — Tuesday, 10 November: Switzerland stuns Czechia; France survives overtime
Switzerland opened the men’s tournament with a 12–8 upset of Czechia, leading from start to finish. The Swiss pulled away after Czechia cut the margin to 7–5, scoring five unanswered goals. André Bremgartner made 18 saves, while Dario Lindegger added three goals and an assist. Tobiáš Formánek scored three times for Czechia.
France needed overtime to edge Norway 15–14. Norway came back from a 12–9 deficit, tied the game with two seconds left in regulation and briefly led in overtime. Louis Arbaud levelled again before Emile Sassone scored the winner. Arbaud finished with five goals and three assists. 2025 European field champion Israel also opened with a test, beating Ireland 23–16 after Ireland cut a seven-goal deficit to three in the third period.
Elsewhere, Italy scored 18 consecutive goals on its way to a 22–2 win over Finland; Poland beat hosts Spain 27–10; and Germany defeated Ukraine 30–5. Great Britain recovered from an early 3–2 deficit to beat Türkiye 20–5. Greece beat Hungary 21–9, Austria defeated Croatia 21–13, and the Netherlands beat Sweden 22–12.
Three players to watch Editorial picks, not official awards
- André Bremgartner — Switzerland. Eighteen saves in the 12–8 win over Czechia.
- Emile Sassone — France. Scored the overtime winner against Norway after France had to level the game again in overtime.
- Max Krevsky — Israel. Six goals and two assists in the 23–16 win over Ireland.
Day 1 results
| Winner | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 12–8 | Czechia |
| Italy | 22–2 | Finland |
| France | 15–14 (OT) | Norway |
| Netherlands | 22–12 | Sweden |
| Greece | 21–9 | Hungary |
| Great Britain | 20–5 | Türkiye |
| Austria | 21–13 | Croatia |
| Poland | 27–10 | Spain |
| Germany | 30–5 | Ukraine |
| Israel | 23–16 | Ireland |
Sources: World Lacrosse report (tournament day nine) · official men’s results and statistics · Pointbench scoreboard: full results table and individual statistics.
Sources
- World Lacrosse report (tournament day nine): all ten results and leading performances.
- World Lacrosse men’s results and statistics: live tournament record.
- World Lacrosse event format: pools, crossover play-ins and qualification structure.
- Pointbench scoreboard and game sheets: the full table of ten scores and individual statistics.