Spain reach World Cup final as Pakistan end campaign in 11th place

The two matches at the Wagener Hockey Stadium produced high drama, with Spain surviving a late Dutch fightback before Pakistan recovered from

Spain completed a remarkable comeback against hosts the Netherlands to book their place in the final of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup, while Pakistan signed off their campaign with a dramatic shootout victory over South Africa to finish 11th.

The two matches at the Wagener Hockey Stadium produced high drama, with Spain surviving a late Dutch fightback before Pakistan recovered from a two-goal deficit and held their nerve in the penalty shootout.

Basterra Hat-Trick Powers Spain into Final

Spain reached their first Men’s Hockey World Cup final since 1998 after defeating the Netherlands 4-3 in a gripping semi-final.

The hosts began with greater attacking intent and eventually broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute when Koen Bijen finished a well-constructed move to give the Netherlands a deserved lead.

Spain returned from the interval with renewed purpose and began to exert greater pressure on the Dutch defence. José Basterra brought Spain level in the third quarter with a fine touch before the visitors capitalised on a yellow card shown to Dutch forward Duco Telgenkamp.

Basterra struck again to put Spain in front, while Pepe Cunill converted a penalty corner to stretch the advantage. Basterra then completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot, leaving Spain with a commanding 4-1 lead.

The Netherlands refused to give up in front of their home supporters. Jip Janssen pulled one goal back from a penalty corner before Joep de Mol scored with just over a minute remaining to reduce the deficit to 4-3.

Despite the frantic final moments, Spain held firm to secure one of the most significant victories in their recent hockey history and advance to the title clash against defending champions Germany.

Pakistan Produce Late Drama Against South Africa

Pakistan also endured a roller-coaster encounter in the classification match for 11th and 12th place, eventually defeating South Africa after a 4-4 draw in regulation time.

South Africa made a blistering start, with Trevor de Lora opening the scoring in the eighth minute before Dayaan Cassiem doubled the lead during the second quarter.

Pakistan responded strongly. Afraz reduced the deficit in the 21st minute, and Muhammad Ammad equalised only a minute later to bring the contest back to level terms.

Rana Waheed Ashraf then completed Pakistan’s comeback by scoring in the 32nd minute and giving his side the lead for the first time.

South Africa fought back once again, with Mustapha Cassiem restoring parity in the 40th minute. Cassiem later converted a penalty stroke in the 55th minute to put South Africa 4-3 ahead.

Pakistan, however, refused to accept defeat. Muhammad Hammaduddin found a late equaliser in the dying moments to make it 4-4 and force the match into a penalty shootout.

Pakistan Keep Their Nerve in Shootout

The shootout provided another tense chapter in the contest. After both sides converted their early attempts, missed opportunities opened the door for Pakistan.

Goalkeeper Waqar emerged as a key figure, producing crucial saves to keep Pakistan in contention. With the pressure mounting, former captain Ammad Butt stepped up to convert the decisive attempt.

Pakistan ultimately won the shootout 4-3, securing 11th place and ending their World Cup campaign on a winning note.

The result also marked Pakistan’s best finish at the Men’s Hockey World Cup since their sixth-place finish in 2006. The national side had finished 12th in 2010 and 2018 and missed the 2014 and 2023 editions.

Although Pakistan could not progress to the knockout stage, their comeback against South Africa offered a positive ending to the tournament, particularly after twice recovering from behind and finding an equaliser in the final moments.

Spain, Germany Set for Title Clash

The World Cup final is now set after Spain’s dramatic victory over the Netherlands and Germany’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the other semi-final.

Spain will meet defending champions Germany for the world title, while the Netherlands will face Argentina in the third-place playoff.

For Spain, the final offers a historic chance to win their first Men’s Hockey World Cup title. Pakistan, meanwhile, leave the tournament in 11th place after a dramatic victory that underlined their fighting spirit until the final whistle.