Germany retain men’s hockey World Cup with Struthoff’s winner

By the Editorial Team · Monday, August 31, 2026

Germany won their second straight men’s hockey World Cup by defeating Spain 1-0, with Michel Struthoff scoring the decisive goal to secure their fourth overall title, matching Pakistan’s record. This victory underscores Germany’s dominance in the sport and defies preseason expectations, while the tournament also featured Argentina’s women’s team ending the Netherlands’ pursuit of a fourth consecutive title.

Germany secured their second consecutive men’s hockey World Cup title with a 1-0 victory over Spain at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre, Belgium, on Sunday. Michel Struthoff scored the decisive goal in the 44th minute, slotting the ball into an empty net to clinch Germany’s fourth World Cup trophy, equalling Pakistan as the most successful nation in the history of the men’s competition.

Struthoff’s goal came in the third quarter and was enough to maintain Germany’s unbeaten run in the tournament. Christopher Rühr, who was named player of the match, highlighted the team’s resilience and determination despite predictions that they would not contend this year. “Everyone said, ‘Ah, the Germans this year, nah, they won’t be there’. But we showed what we’re capable of,” Rühr said after the final. The German squad is reportedly planning to celebrate their title throughout the coming week.

In other men’s tournament matches held earlier, England finished in sixth place after a 2-0 loss to Australia in the fifth-place playoff in Amsterdam on Friday. Ireland concluded the championship in 10th place, while Wales ended 15th.

The women’s final took place on Saturday at the Wagener Stadion in Amsterdam, where Argentina ended the Netherlands’ bid for a record fourth consecutive World Cup by winning a shootout 3-1. Yibbi Jansen had opened the scoring for the Dutch with her eighth goal of the tournament, but Maria Granatto leveled the score for Argentina. The shootout victory secured the title for Las Leonas, denying the host nation an unprecedented fourth straight championship.

The tournament was also marked by controversy during the women’s semi-final, where Belgium lost 1-0 to the Netherlands. Belgium’s just-lost chance for a late equalizer was disallowed, sparking criticism from Belgian players. Justine Rasir was subsequently banned from participating in Belgium’s bronze-medal match against Australia after making remarks to Belgian broadcaster RTL, claiming her team had been “robbed” and questioning the referee’s integrity.

Final placements in the women’s tournament included England in ninth, Scotland in 11th, and Ireland in 13th. The events concluded a high-profile World Cup featuring closely contested matches and historic achievements on both the men’s and women’s sides.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.