|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Tomas Domene scored a hat-trick as Argentina thrashed New Zealand 7-1 to seal second place in Pool A at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026. The Netherlands finished top with a perfect record after beating Japan 4-1. In Pool C, Australia were held 2-2 by South Africa but still finished first, while Spain beat Ireland 3-1 to claim the second qualifying place.
Amstelveen, Netherlands: The men’s first round closed on Thursday, and it closed emphatically — with a seven-goal demolition, a hat-trick, a late Dutch brace and one draw that nobody had budgeted for.
Argentina’s afternoon began badly and ended in a rout. Kane Russell converted a penalty stroke in the 13th minute to give New Zealand the lead, which lasted nine minutes and represented the sum total of the Black Sticks’ resistance.
Seven Without Reply
Tomas Domene levelled in the 22nd minute, and after the interval Argentina turned the match into a statement. Domene struck again in the 43rd and completed his hat-trick with the last goal of the game in the 60th.
ALSO READ: India survive 11 England penalty corners to hold on for the draw that takes them through
In between, Bautista Capurro scored twice — in the 39th and 58th — while Tadeo Marcucci in the 48th and Nicolas Keenan in the 52nd added one apiece. Seven goals, six of them after half-time, and a scoreline that lifted Argentina’s goal difference to +7 and locked in second place behind the hosts.
Los Leones finish the pool having beaten Japan 3-0 and lost 3-1 to the Netherlands. New Zealand, whose only success was a 2-0 win over Japan, drop into the classification round.
Reyenga’s Late Brace Completes a Perfect Dutch Pool
The Netherlands had already qualified but showed no interest in coasting. Kazumasa Matsumoto gave Japan an eighth-minute lead at the Wagener Stadium.
Thijs van Dam levelled four minutes later, Jip Janssen made it two on 50 minutes, and then Tijmen Reyenga scored in the 55th and 56th to close it out at 4-1. Three matches, three wins, nine points, a goal difference of +9. It is as complete a first round as any side has managed in this tournament.
Japan leave the pool stage without a point and without a win, having also lost to Argentina and New Zealand.
South Africa Take a Point Off the Pool Winners
The day’s surprise came in Wavre, where the winless South Africans held Australia to a 2-2 draw and denied the three-time champions a perfect record.
Mustapha Cassiem put South Africa ahead in the fourth minute. Australia responded through Joel Rintala on 38 minutes and Ky Willott on 43 — but the lead lasted barely a minute, Cassiem striking again in the 44th to level.
Australia still finished top of Pool C on seven points, unbeaten across the round after earlier wins over Ireland and Spain. South Africa’s single point, after defeats to Spain and Ireland, is all they take into the classification stage.
Spain Come Through for Second
Ireland and Spain met knowing only a win would do, and the match turned in the final quarter.
Nicolas Alvarez put Spain ahead in the ninth minute before Lee Cole equalised on 19. It stayed level until Marc Reyne struck twice — in the 47th and 53rd — to settle a 3-1 win and take Spain into the second round on six points.
Ireland, who had beaten South Africa 4-1 after losing their opener to Australia, go out on three.
The Second-Round Pools Take Shape
With Pools A and C complete, the men’s second round is set. The Netherlands and Argentina join England and India in Pool E; Australia and Spain go into Pool F alongside Germany and Belgium.
Teams carry forward the points earned against other qualified sides and play two further matches, after which the top two from each pool go directly to the semi-finals. There are no quarter-finals in this edition — which means India’s route to a medal now runs through the only men’s side to come out of the first round with a perfect record.
Results — 20 August 2026, Men’s
New Zealand 1-7 Argentina (Pool A) — Domene 22′, 43′, 60′; Capurro 39′, 58′; Marcucci 48′; Keenan 52′; Russell 13′ pen stroke
Netherlands 4-1 Japan (Pool A) — van Dam 12′, Janssen 50′, Reyenga 55′, 56′; Matsumoto 8′
Australia 2-2 South Africa (Pool C) — Rintala 38′, Willott 43′; Cassiem 4′, 44′
Ireland 1-3 Spain (Pool C) — Alvarez 9′, Reyne 47′, 53′; Cole 19′
Final standings — Pool A: Netherlands 9 pts, Argentina 6, New Zealand 3, Japan 0
Final standings — Pool C: Australia 7 pts, Spain 6, Ireland 3, South Africa 1
