The 2026 European Championships delivered an excellent edition defined by great milestones in all five events.

For the first time, the five titles were shared between five different nations. This shows the depth of European badminton.

France kept its presence at the top of men’s singles through Christo Popov, who secured the title one year after Alex Lanier became the first French player to win the men’s singles crown. This marks back-to-back wins for France in the discipline.

In women’s singles, Kirsty Gilmour finally reached the top of the podium after a remarkable run of five silver medals and one bronze. Her victory also represents Scotland’s first gold medal in the event.

Men’s doubles saw a long-awaited win for England, as Ben Lane/Sean Vendy claimed gold. This marks the country’s first European title in this discipline in 28 years, since the win of Simon Archer and Chris Hunt.

In mixed doubles, Denmark once again showed its strength with Mathias Christiansen/Alexandra Bøje.

Meanwhile, women’s doubles delivered another historic moment, as sisters Gabriela Stoeva/Stefani Stoeva claimed their fifth European Championships title. With this, they become the most successful women’s doubles players in the history of the event.

In this way, the 2026 edition will be remembered not only for its champions, but for the stories behind them.