Argentina halted the Netherlands’ bid for a fifth straight women’s FIH World Cup trophy, pulling off a thrilling 3-1 penalty shootout victory after the teams finished tied 1-1 in regulation at Amstelveen on Saturday. The triumph served as sweet revenge for Las Leonas, who had fallen to the Dutch in both the previous World Cup final and the Tokyo Olympics title match, securing their third global crown in history.
Argentina are the new Women's Hockey World Cup champions
The hosts drew first blood right on the stroke of halftime through star drag-flicker Yibbi Jansen, who converted a 30th-minute penalty corner to put the Netherlands ahead. Argentina pressed hard for a response in the second half, earning eight penalty corners in total. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 54th minute when skipper Maria Granatto pounced on a rebound off their final corner, driving the ball home to level the score and force the final into a nerve-wracking shootout.
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Netherlands run out of steam in penalty shootout
In the shootout, goalkeeper heroics and clinical execution carried Argentina over the line. While Marijn Veen converted for the Dutch, both Pien Sanders and Felice Albers failed to score. Argentina took control as Victoria Granatto, Brisa Bruggesser, and Sofia Cairo all found the back of the net—overcoming a minor hiccup when Zoe Diaz’s attempt was overturned on video referral—to seal the historic victory.
This mark's Argentina's third Women's Hockey World Cup triumph, with all three of their championship wins—in 2002, 2010, and now 2026, coming via victories over the Dutch in the final.
Historically, Argentina's World Cup glory has come through victory over the Dutch, with their previous two championships in 2002 and 2010 both secured by overcoming the Netherlands in the final. This latest encounter served as a high-stakes rematch four years in the making, echoing their clash in the 2022 World Cup final where the Dutch secured a 3-1 win. That identical 3-1 scoreline also decided the gold medal match between these two powerhouse nations at the Tokyo Olympics, making Argentina's victory all the more monumental.
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Both finalists had to navigate tense, narrow semi-final fixtures to set up the title clash. The nine-time champion Dutch side narrowly escaped a dramatic semi-final against Belgium, clinging to a 1-0 win after surviving a late Belgian goal that was ultimately disallowed. Argentina mirrored that tight scoreline in the second semi-final, battling past Australia by a single goal to book their spot in the final.
Belgium went on to claim the bronze medal, edging out Australia 1-0 in a hard-fought third-place playoff.