How to Watch the 2026 European Boxing Championships in Sofia
Sofia, Bulgaria hosts the first-ever Elite European Boxing Championships from 17-25 September 2026, held under European Boxing, the continental federation of World Boxing, established in 2023 as boxing's Olympic-recognised pathway to LA 2028. More than 500 boxers from over 40 nations compete across 20 weight categories for continental titles at the Asics Arena, and every session streams live and for free on Eurovision Sport.
Event Details
- Dates: 17th -25th September 2026
- Venue: Asics Arena, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Participants: 517 male and female boxers from 41 federations
- How to watch: live and free on Eurovision Sport, subject to broadcast restrictions in your territory
European Boxing Championships 2026 Schedule
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 17th September | Preliminaries |
| 18th September | Preliminary and Round of 16 |
| 19th September | Preliminary and Round of 16 |
| 20 September | Preliminary, Round of 16 and Quarter-Finals |
| 21st September | Preliminary, Round of 16 and Quarter-Finals |
| 22nd September | Round of 16 and Quarter-Finals |
| 23rd September | Quarter-Finals and Semi Finals |
| 24th September | Semi-finals and Finals |
| 25th September | Finals |
Participating Federations
Forty-one federations are entered for Sofia 2026, reflecting the full breadth of European Boxing's membership, including a Refugee Team competing under the neutral flag used at major championships for athletes without a federation to represent.
| Albania | Kosovo |
| Armenia | Latvia |
| Austria | Lithuania |
| Azerbaijan | Luxembourg |
| Belarus | Moldova |
| Belgium | Montenegro |
| Bulgaria | Netherlands |
| Croatia | North Macedonia |
| Czech Republic | Norway |
| Denmark | Poland |
| England | Portugal |
| Estonia | Refugee Team |
| Finland | Romania |
| France | Russia |
| Georgia | Slovakia |
| Germany | Spain |
| Greece | Sweden |
| Hungary | Switzerland |
| Ireland | Türkiye |
| Israel | Ukraine |
| Italy |
European Boxing Championships 2026 Venue
This is far from Bulgaria's first time running a major boxing championship. Sofia previously staged the Women's European Boxing Championships in both 2016 and 2018, and the country has hosted the men's edition three times before (Varna in 1983, Plovdiv in 2006 and Samokov in 2015).
This will be the first time Sofia itself has staged a combined men's and women's tournament, and the first time under the new European Boxing banner. The Bulgarian Boxing Federation, which won the hosting rights through a competitive bidding process backed by the country's Ministry of Youth and Sports, has a long track record of delivering high-level international events.
Format of the European Boxing Championships and What to Expect Ringside
Bouts follow the standard elite Olympic-style format: three rounds of three minutes each for both men and women, scored by ringside judges on the ten-point-must system, with a winner declared at the final bell or, less often, by stoppage.
With 517 boxers across 20 weight categories, expect a packed early schedule, two rings running simultaneously through the preliminary, round of 16 stages, and quarter-finals, before the draw narrows to a single ring for the finals session on the 24th and 25th September, when all 20 gold medals are decided.
For neutral fans, the early rounds are the best chance to see a wide spread of styles and nations before the field thins out; for anyone following a specific boxer, it's worth checking the daily draw updates from European Boxing, since exact bout order and ring assignment can shift close to fight time.
Watch More Combat Sports on Eurovision Sport
Beyond the boxing action from Sofia, Eurovision Sport also streams other boxing championships and combat sports events for free, including: