Kvindeligaen Women (Denmark) 2026/27

Kvindeligaen serves as the premier professional handball competition for women in Denmark. Administered by the Danish Handball Federation, the league stands as the highest level of domestic play for female athletes. It holds a distinct position among European competitions, currently ranked fourth by the European Handball Federation.

The season structure begins with a double round-robin regular season, known as the Grundspil. Each team plays 26 matches during this phase. Points accumulated in this stage carry over into the playoffs, or Slutspil. The top eight teams advance to this knockout phase, where they are divided into two groups of four. Within these groups, seeding from the regular season determines bonus points; first and second-placed teams receive two points, while third and fourth receive one. The winners of each playoff group progress to the semifinals. The final decision is made through a best-of-three series between the two semifinal victors.

Relegation and promotion mechanisms maintain competitive balance. The team finishing 14th is directly relegated to the 1. Division. Teams placed between ninth and thirteenth enter a qualification round. The lowest-ranked side in this group faces the winner of a match between the second and third-placed teams from the second tier in a best-of-three playoff. The champion of the 1. Division secures automatic promotion, while the winner of the qualification series also earns a spot in the top flight.

The league format mirrors the men's equivalent, the Herreligaen, closely. Both divisions share the same number of teams and similar structural elements regarding playoff seeding and relegation. The primary distinction lies in the participants and historical dominance patterns. For the upcoming 2026 season, the competition plans to reduce its size from 14 teams to 12, marking a shift in the league's composition.

Historical success is concentrated among specific clubs. Viborg HK holds the record with 14 titles. Team Esbjerg, the reigning champions, have secured six championships. Other notable contenders include FIF København with 12 titles and HG København with five. The league has operated under various sponsored names over the decades, reflecting commercial changes in Danish sports.