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Yibbi Jansen scored four as the defending champion Netherlands crushed Japan 9-0 to top Pool A at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026. Australia salvaged a 4-4 draw against Chile with 31 seconds left after playing part of the match with nine players. Argentina beat Scotland 2-0 to win Pool B, with Germany taking second place after a 3-1 defeat of the United States.
Amstelveen, Netherlands: Two of the four women’s pools were settled on Wednesday, and the day’s most one-sided scoreline and its most chaotic finish arrived within hours of each other in the same group.
Under the format introduced for this edition, the top two teams in each pool advance to the second stage and stay in contention for the title. The bottom two enter the classification stage to play for the lower placings. By the end of the night, Pool A and Pool B had their answers.
Nine Against Eleven, and a Point Rescued
Australia and Chile produced the match of the day. It was tight until Courtney Schonell put Australia ahead 11 seconds before the half-time break, and it never settled again.
Laura Müller levelled early in the third quarter. Abigail Wilson restored Australia’s lead from a penalty stroke, but ill-discipline reduced the Hockeyroos to nine players. Chile responded by pulling their goalkeeper to press the numerical advantage further, and it worked — Manuela Urroz made it 2-2 in the 47th minute. Their keeper returned, and five minutes later Claire Colwill put Australia back in front from a penalty corner.
Chile came back a third time. Florencia Barrios equalised with her first senior international goal, and Fernanda Villagran’s penalty stroke in the 55th minute put Chile ahead for the first time in the match. With 31 seconds remaining, Mariah Williams reacted quickest to a loose ball in front of goal to make it 4-4. Williams described it afterwards as an intense game and acknowledged there was “a bit to learn” from it.
Jansen’s Four in a Nine-Goal Statement
Later the same day, the Netherlands offered a reminder of why they are defending champions. Yibbi Jansen scored four in a 9-0 win over Japan, with Marijn Veen and Felice Albers adding two each and Frederique Matla also on the scoresheet.
Japan goalkeeper Akio Tanaka produced a brave performance and several excellent saves, which says something about what the scoreline might otherwise have been. The Dutch led 5-0 at the interval and added four more after it, keeping the home crowd happy and continuing an unbeaten march to the top of Pool A. The result also confirmed Australia’s passage in second.
Two Strokes Settle Pool B
Germany’s meeting with the United States turned on the penalty spot. Jette Fleschütz broke the deadlock from a stroke in the 20th minute, and Lisa Nolte doubled the lead early in the second half.
Ashley Sessa produced a spectacular solo effort to pull one back for the USA, but the recovery lasted four minutes. Fleschütz converted a second penalty stroke to restore the two-goal cushion, and Germany closed out a 3-1 win that carried them above the Americans and into second place in the pool.
Argentina had done their part earlier, though they were made to work. Scotland started brightly before María Granatto took Argentina’s first opportunity, opening the scoring from a penalty corner in the 11th minute. Las Leonas were far more dominant in the second quarter without extending the lead, and it was not until the 41st minute that Lara Casas scrambled home from close range to seal the 2-0 win. Argentina finished top of Pool B once the day’s other results were in.
Two Pools Down, Two to Go
The Netherlands and Australia advance from Pool A, Argentina and Germany from Pool B. Japan, Chile, the United States and Scotland all move into the classification stage.
The remaining women’s pools conclude on Thursday, after which the second stage begins. There are no quarter-finals in this edition — the top two from each second-stage pool go directly to the semi-finals.
Results — 19 August 2026, Women’s
Netherlands 9-0 Japan (Pool A)
Chile 4-4 Australia (Pool A)
Argentina 2-0 Scotland (Pool B)
USA 1-3 Germany (Pool B)
