The 2026 Skopje Senior European Cup was held on 19–20 September in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia. The event drew 384 athletes from 40 nations across three continents, including 265 men and 119 women.
Russia topped the medal table with four gold, four silver and ten bronze medals. France finished second on 2-3-2, Georgia third on 2-1-1, Italy fourth on 1-2-1 and Serbia fifth on 1-1-2.
Nine nations won at least one gold medal and 18 nations left Skopje with a place on the podium.
Serbia's Lazar Zdrale won the under-100 kg title with five wins from five contests. He said he was very satisfied with his performance and that the medal also secured his place at the European U23 Championships.
Zdrale noted that the final result did not reflect how demanding his route through the draw had been, with several contests requiring great concentration and effort. He also said this was his third time competing in Skopje and praised the organisation.
His coach Ljubiša Majdov said the standard of competition had been very high, with both the refereeing and the contests at the highest level. He added that the entry included a notable number of judoka from the IJF World Ranking.
European Judo Union President Dr Tóth László attended. North Macedonia's Nikola Pavlovski won a contest in the repechage before defeat ended his campaign short of the bronze medal bout.
The Skopje Senior European Cup is part of the Senior European Cup series, giving athletes competition outside the World Ranking events.