Argentina ended the dominance of the Netherlands and won the World Cup of Hockey

Argentina ended the Netherlands’ remarkable dominance of women’s hockey by defeating the co-hosts in a dramatic penalty shootout to lift the FIH Women’s World Cup on Saturday. The final ended 1-1 after regulation time before Argentina prevailed 3-1 in a shootout to deny the Dutch a fifth straight World Cup crown.

The triumph also gave Argentina some revenge for two painful defeats by the Netherlands. The Dutch beat them in the 2022 World Cup final and again in the gold medal match at the Tokyo Olympics, winning both meetings 3-1. However, Argentina turned the tables when it mattered most to win a third World Cup title, having previously won the tournament in 2002 and 2010.

WORLD CUP OF HOCKEY 2026: FULL NEWS

The Netherlands struck just before half-time through Yibbi Jansen, widely regarded as one of the best stoppers in the women’s game. Jansen converted the Dutch side’s first penalty corner in the final minute of the second quarter to score her eighth goal of the tournament.

Argentina had to wait until the closing stages to find an answer. After creating several chances from penalty corners without success, they finally broke through in the 54th minute. Captain Maria Granatto was on hand to score from the rebound after the Dutch goalkeeper lost her footing trying to stop Agustina Gorzelany’s flick to send the game to a shootout.

Argentina held their nerve as the final went to penalties. Victoria Granatto, Brisa Bruggesser and Sofia Cairo all found the net, while Zoe Diaz saw her effort ruled out after a referral. For the Netherlands, Marijn Veen was the only player to score, with Pien Sanders and Felice Albers failing to convert.

The final began as a tightly contested affair, with neither side able to gain early control. The Netherlands created the first meaningful opportunities when Marleen Jochems and Sanders made forays into the Argentina circle, but the South American defense held firm. Argentina also struggled to find a way through, Miranda Victoria unable to make her attacking move count.

The Dutch continued to press in the second quarter. Their experienced midfielder Xan de Waard helped build another attack but Veen could not control the final pass. The breakthrough finally came with Jansen’s powerful drive from a penalty corner on the stroke of half-time.

Argentina came out stronger after the break and began to put the Dutch defense under sustained pressure. Their first penalty corner early in the third quarter went wide, while Gorzelana’s next effort was saved by goalkeeper Anne Veenendaal.

The South Americans continued to press and earned a few penalty corners, but poor execution and a series of tackles kept them out. Granatto also had a chance to equalize after Eugenia Trinchinetti beat three defenders and found her inside the circle, only for the Argentina captain to lose control of the ball.

The Netherlands had chances to put the game out of Argentina’s reach, including a penalty corner in the 50th minute, but Frederique Malta fired wide with Jansen offside.

Argentina’s persistence finally paid off in the closing minutes. After being repeatedly denied set-pieces, they earned their eighth penalty corner of the game and found the equalizer thanks to Granatto’s quick reaction to the rebound.

The result completed a remarkable turnaround for Argentina and ended the Netherlands’ long dominance at the World Cup. The Netherlands, nine-time champions, reached the final after beating Belgium in a thrilling semi-final, while Argentina secured their place with a narrow victory over Australia. Belgium later beat Australia 1-0 in a fiercely contested match to win the bronze medal.

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Published on:

August 29, 2026 10:52 PM IST