Iván Pérez Claims Bronze Medal at European Championships

UNSQUASHABLE player Iván Pérez secured the first European Championship medal of his career after producing an impressive run to the podium at the 2026 ESF European Individual Squash Championships staged at Ormai László Hall in Budapest, Hungary.

Iván negotiated a demanding route through the draw, overcoming three challenging opponents before narrowly missing out on a place in the final. He then recovered from semi-final disappointment to defeat fellow Spaniard Bernat Jaume in a thrilling five-game third-place play-off.

After receiving a first-round bye, Iván began his campaign with a confident victory over the Netherlands' Robert Lindner. The Spaniard established control early, using accurate length and disciplined movement to build a two-game advantage before Lindner responded in the third. Pérez quickly regained his composure, closing out an 11-6 11-5 7-11 11-3 victory.

The third round brought a significantly tougher examination against Portugal No.1 Rui Soares. The pair traded games throughout an absorbing contest, with Soares twice moving ahead. Iván demonstrated considerable resilience, fighting back each time before taking control of the decisive stages of the fifth game to complete a 10-12 11-7 3-11 11-8 11-9 victory.

Iván faced another stern test in the quarter-finals against Baptiste Masotti of France. Once again, the Spaniard had to recover from setbacks after twice falling behind. Refusing to surrender the initiative, he raised the intensity of his play in the closing stages and edged a dramatic fifth game to secure an 8-11 11-4 3-11 11-7 11-9 victory and book his place in the last four.

The semi-final against second seed Dimitri Steinmann proved a step too far after Iván's demanding run through the draw. The Swiss player produced a controlled performance to win 11-4 11-6 11-5 in 42 minutes, bringing Iván's hopes of reaching the championship final to an end.

Iván responded impressively in the third-place play-off, however, producing one of the most memorable matches of the tournament against fellow Spaniard Bernat Jaume. The contest lasted 78 minutes and ebbed and flowed throughout, with both players twice taking a game.

With the Bronze Medal decided by a fifth-game shootout, Iván held his nerve in the closing exchanges. After saving himself from another setback, he edged the decider 12-10 to complete a hard-fought 6-11 11-7 11-5 6-11 12-10 victory.

The result earned Iván his first European Individual Squash Championship Medal, marking a significant milestone in his career. His ability to negotiate three successive five-game battles before overcoming Jaume in another gruelling encounter underlines the physical resilience and competitive maturity that characterised his tournament.

For Iván, Budapest provided a memorable week that culminated in a place on the European Championship podium and further strengthened his reputation as one of Spain's leading players.