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England recorded the biggest victory of the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup so far, defeating Wales 8-2 to become the first team to reach the knockout stage. With three wins from three matches, England finished at the top of its group.
England followed its game plan effectively and signaled its intentions by taking the lead in the second minute. The team continued to score at regular intervals against winless Wales, maintaining control throughout the match.
Despite trailing 8-0, Wales responded with two late goals from Gareth Furlong. Wales became the first team eliminated from the tournament after collecting one point from three matches.
England entered its final group game as the favorite after winning its opening two matches. It had six points compared with Wales’ one but was seeking another commanding performance to confirm its position as group leader.
Sam Ward gave England the lead in the second minute. Calman doubled the advantage before the end of the opening quarter with a well-taken goal.
Calman scored again in the 21st minute, sending a relatively soft shot from the center of the circle past the Welsh goalkeeper to make it 3-0. England’s fourth penalty corner in the 22nd minute was unsuccessful, but Thomas Sorsby converted the subsequent opportunity to extend the lead to 4-0.
Wales created its first significant chance in the 26th minute, but the goalkeeper intervened to push the ball away from close range. England carried its four-goal advantage into halftime.
During the break, Wagener Stadium announcer Mark Van Run was honored on his 80th birthday.
Zachary Wallace added England’s fifth goal in the 40th minute. Two minutes later, a penalty corner awarded to England was overturned following a video review. England remained ahead 5-0 at the end of the third quarter.
England earned four penalty corners in quick succession between the 46th and 47th minutes. Samuel Hooper converted the last of those chances with a crisp flick, giving England its first penalty-corner goal from nine attempts.
Henry Croft converted England’s 10th penalty corner in the 52nd minute to make it 7-0. Nicholas Bandurak added another goal two minutes later, extending the lead to 8-0 and setting the tournament’s highest score to that point.
Wales was awarded a penalty stroke in the 58th minute. The decision was upheld following England’s video referral, and Furlong converted to reduce the deficit to 8-1. He scored again in the 59th minute to complete the scoring.
England earned two more penalty corners in the final minute but could not add another goal. The 8-2 victory secured England’s place in the next round.
The day’s other major fixture was expected to feature traditional rivals India and Pakistan, with both teams seeking a victory to strengthen their quarterfinal prospects. Former Pakistan hockey stars, including Shahbaz and Rana, traveled from Wavre to watch the match.
Other tournament results included defending champion Germany’s victory over co-host Belgium in Wavre. The Netherlands, the other co-host, defeated Argentina 3-1.
New Zealand experienced mixed results, with its men’s team beating Japan 2-0 and its women’s team losing 3-2 to Ireland.
In the women’s competition, Chile produced one of the day’s biggest surprises by holding Australia to a 4-4 draw. Spain and Belgium also shared the points following a 1-1 draw.
