At the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026, 11 European women’s teams secured places in the knockout phase following Stage One and the preliminary round. Sweden, Serbia, Portugal, Wales, Italy and the Slovak Republic all advanced by topping their groups with perfect records. The Netherlands and Ukraine progressed as the best runners-up, while Poland, Croatia and Switzerland moved through to the decisive preliminary stage. That preliminary round, however, brought added drama and European teams were right at the centre of it. Croatia edged past Australia in a tense 3-2 encounter. Despite Liu Yangzi pushing hard for Australia with two wins, Croatia held their nerve, with Hana ARAPOVIC, Ivana MALOBABIC and Lea RAKOVAC delivering crucial victories, the latter sealing the tie in the deciding match. Poland also came through a demanding five-match battle, defeating Thailand 3-2. Natalia BAJOR and Katarzyna WEGRZYN kept Poland in contention before Zuzanna WIELGOS stepped up in the final match to secure progression. Not all European teams managed to advance. Hungary fell just short in a narrow 3-2 defeat to Switzerland, despite strong efforts from Rebeka NAGY and Nora DOHOCZKI, while Belgium’s campaign ended after a 3-0 loss to Kazakhstan. Now, attention shifts to the next phase, where the top eight teams enter the stage and the level rises even further. The schedule opens on Saturday morning with Chinese Taipei facing Korea, before a series of high-profile clashes later in the day. Germany meet England in an all-European encounter, while France take on Japan in another key tie. Korea continue their campaign against Romania, and China face Chinese Taipei in one of the standout matches. The action continues on Sunday with more crucial fixtures. Japan play Germany, France face England in another European duel, and China meet Korea in a highly anticipated clash. The final matches of the stage will see Chinese Taipei take on Romania, with positions in the knockout bracket on the line.

At the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026, 14 European men’s teams secured their place in the knockout phase after the group stage and preliminary round. Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Romania, Poland and Austria led the way, each topping their groups with flawless 3-0 records and setting the tone with confident, controlled performances. Just behind them, a second wave kept Europe’s momentum going. Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia and Belgium all progressed with only one defeat, showing both consistency and composure when it mattered most. The battle for the remaining spots added extra drama. Eight teams competed for four places in the main draw, and Serbia rose to the occasion with a 3-1 win over Mexico. Dimitrije LEVAJAC once again led from the front, while Uroš NINKOVIĆ’s comeback victory captured the fighting spirit that carried the team through. Italy also made a strong statement. After finishing as runners-up in their group, they produced one of the most convincing performances of the day, sweeping Argentina 3-0. John OYEBODE set the pace, with Matteo MUTTI and Danilo FASO backing him up to secure progression in style. For Greece, however, the journey came to an end after a narrow defeat to Moldova in a tightly contested final match. Now, the focus shifts to the next phase, where the top seeds enter the stage and the level rises even further. European heavyweights are immediately tested: Germany open against Japan before facing France in an all-European clash, while Sweden meet Korea and England in Group 1. France will also take on Chinese Taipei as they look to build momentum. The action continues on Sunday with another series of high-profile encounters, including France versus Japan and Germany against Chinese Taipei, while Sweden face China in one of the standout ties.