By Urdu Report Desk
Germany defeated Spain by a single goal to retain the 2026 Hockey World Cup title. With the victory, Germany equalled Pakistan’s record of four Hockey World Cup titles, the joint-highest total in the history of the tournament.
The final was played in Wavre, Belgium, where Germany secured a 1-0 victory over Spain. The only goal of the match was scored by Michel Struthoff in the 44th minute. Spain made repeated attempts to level the score, but Germany’s defence successfully held on to its lead.
Germany Win Fourth World Title
Germany had previously won the Hockey World Cup in 2002, 2006 and 2023. Their victory in 2026 took their total number of World Cup titles to four.
Pakistan won the Hockey World Cup in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994. Germany have now joined Pakistan as the joint-most successful team in Hockey World Cup history, with four titles each.
Germany have also joined the select group of teams to win two consecutive World Cups. Pakistan achieved the feat in 1978 and 1982, while Australia won back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2014.
Pakistan Finish 11th
Pakistan finished 11th in the 2026 Hockey World Cup.
The result marked Pakistan’s best World Cup finish in 20 years. The national team finished 12th in the 2010 and 2018 World Cups, while Pakistan finished sixth in the 2006 tournament.
Pakistan played six matches during the tournament, recording two victories, suffering three defeats and drawing one match.
The national team scored 17 goals in total and conceded 23. Hannan Shahid was Pakistan’s leading scorer with four goals.
Pakistan’s World Cup Campaign
Pakistan lost 4-1 to England in the group stage and drew 3-3 against Wales. A 5-3 defeat against India then ended Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
In the classification phase, Pakistan defeated Japan 4-3 before losing 4-2 to New Zealand. The team then defeated South Africa in a penalty shootout to secure 11th place.
Argentina Win Women’s World Cup
In the women’s Hockey World Cup, Argentina defeated the Netherlands in a penalty shootout to win the title. The match finished 1-1 after regulation time, before Argentina secured a 3-1 victory in the shootout.
The 2026 men’s and women’s Hockey World Cups were held in Belgium and the Netherlands from August 15 to 30.
