Every two years, the best goalball teams in Europe compete for the coveted European title. For the 2027 edition, the Netherlands proudly hosts this spectacular event.
In March 2027, the competition will kick off at the Rusheuvel in Oss. This is your chance to experience the tension, speed, and excitement of goalball up close!
Goalball is a team sport for athletes with a visual impairment, in which players rely on their hearing to orient themselves. During open play in matches, complete silence is therefore required. Goalball is played in two halves of 12 minutes on a court measuring 18 by 9 meters, with a goal spanning the full width of the court at each end.
Two teams of up to six players compete, with three players on the court at a time. Each team occupies one half of the court. Using an underhand throw, the ball called a “goalball,” weighing 1.25 kg and containing bells is thrown toward the opposing team’s goal. The goal stretches across the entire width of the court. Players on the opposing team must locate the ball by sound and try to prevent it from entering the goal.
All of this makes goalball not just a sport you watch, but one you experience. The hall falls completely silent; all you hear is the breathing of top athletes and the jingling of the ball. Then suddenly: a powerful throw, reaching speeds of up to 60 km/h, toward the opponent’s goal. Players dive without sight, but with complete trust. It’s power and pure strategy compressed into a single second. Goalball is raw, intense, and unique.
See it and hear it once, and you’re hooked!
The previous edition of the European Goalball Championship took place in 2025 in Agde, France. During this tournament, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Italy, and Serbia competed in an exciting contest. In the final, Belgium came out on top against Sweden and claimed the title.
In 2023, Sweden emerged victorious, winning a thrilling final against Hungary to secure the championship.
