Germany beat Spain to win Hockey World Cup as youth and defence deliver fourth star

Germany defeated Spain to win the Hockey World Cup in Wavre on August 31, 2026, with Michel Struthoff scoring the decisive goal in the final. The champions had earlier beaten Belgium, Australia and Argentina en route to the title.

The Pro League that preceded the World Cup served as a barometer of form, and Germany arrived having produced concerning numbers there while undergoing a transition marked by a large intake of young players. Under Andre Henning’s stewardship the side had previously won a World Cup, reached an Olympic final and contested two European Championship finals, winning one. Despite the youth movement, three of five players who had won junior World Cups in 2023 and 2025 each contributed two goals during this tournament.

Germany’s title was underpinned by a defensive system that conceded just seven goals across the entire competition. That defensive resilience stood in contrast to the Pro League campaign, where the team had allowed many more goals, and helped shape the campaign’s outcome.

Spain were the only nation to hand Germany a defeat at the tournament but were unable to overturn that when it mattered most in the final, losing their possession rhythm that had been effective earlier. Spain had produced a shock 4-3 semifinal victory over co-host Netherlands to reach the decider.

The Dutch saw their semifinal slip away after Duco Telgenkamp received a 10-minute suspension, a period in which Spain scored three times to turn the tie and quiet the Amstelveen crowd. That incident undone what had been a strong Dutch campaign up until that point.

Argentina finished as the tournament’s top-scorer with 22 goals, pairing spirited defence with eye-catching attacking play. England, viewed as a dark horse, played a second-round 2-2 draw with the Netherlands that was described as a contender for the match of the tournament but was insufficient to advance to the final phase. Co-host Belgium, ranked No. 1, failed to beat any of the top-eight ranked opponents, while India finished in eighth place.

The World Cup was marred by off-field scandals. The tournament concluded with an embarrassing moment when 12 players were on the pitch.