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France delivered one of the most dramatic performances of the FIH Hockey World Cup for Junior Men in Tamil Nadu, staging a remarkable comeback to defeat Australia 8-3 after trailing 1-3 in a Pool F match on November 30, 2025.
The fast-paced contest kept the crowd enthralled, with France scoring five goals in a blistering final quarter. Day 3 produced some of the tightest hockey of the pool stage, as Australia and 2023 runners-up France battled intensely for control. The match was finely poised at 3-3 after three quarters before France shifted into a higher gear and ran away with the result.
France’s second straight victory strengthens their push toward the quarterfinals, while Australia now faces a must-win final pool match against Korea. In this tournament format, six pool winners and the two best second-placed teams advance to the last eight.
Australia had taken charge early, building a 3-1 lead with goals from Matthew Hawthorne, Patrick Andrew, and Ian Grobbelaar, after France opened scoring through Victor Saint-Martin in the ninth minute. But the momentum shifted dramatically. James Liddiard narrowed the gap to 2-3, and Tom Gaillard equalized before the final quarter began.
In the last 15 minutes, France unleashed relentless pressure, scoring five unanswered goals. Gaillard completed his brace, Hugo Dolou struck twice, and Gabriel Piole and Malo Martinache added one each. Australia’s decision to remove their goalkeeper in search of an equalizer backfired, leaving them exposed and slipping to a minus-three goal difference heading into the final day of pool play.
“I think it was a tough match in each department of the game. We defended very hard and took our chances in attack against a very tough opponent like Australia,” said France’s Arthur Plauche.
Elsewhere, Spain prevailed over Belgium, Japan kept their quarterfinal hopes alive by beating China, and the tournament recorded its first draw.
Namibia Beats Egypt to Stay Alive
After a quiet opening quarter, Namibia rebounded strongly to defeat Egypt 4-2 in their second Pool D match. The victory keeps Namibia mathematically in contention, while Egypt’s second straight loss ends their quarterfinal ambitions.
Spain, bronze medalists in the previous edition, secured a 2-0 win over Belgium to claim their second victory and move closer to the knockout stage. Belgium will now face a must-win situation against Egypt. Spain remains unbeaten and has yet to concede a goal this tournament. Juan Prado opened scoring in the 20th minute, and Bruno Avila extended the lead with a penalty corner conversion in the 32nd minute.
After two matches each, Spain leads Pool D with six points. Belgium and Namibia follow with three apiece, while Egypt exits the race.
Japan Defeats China; England Dominates Austria
Japan revived their campaign with a 3-2 win over China in a tight Pool C contest at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium. China’s second consecutive loss eliminates them from quarterfinal contention.
England delivered a commanding performance in their do-or-die Pool E match, overpowering Austria 13-0. Kaden Draysey and Henry Markham each scored hat-tricks in a match England needed to win decisively after their opening loss to the Netherlands. Despite a scoreless first quarter, England surged ahead with five goals in the second. They added four more in each of the final two quarters to finish with a dominant tally. George Fletcher scored twice, while Olly Bennett, Alex Chihota, Michael Royden, and captain Max Anderson contributed one goal each.
New Zealand and Argentina Share the Spoils
The tournament’s first draw came as New Zealand held Argentina to a 3-3 result in a Pool C encounter. Three early goals marked a lively start, with Argentina taking a 2-1 lead through Mateo Torrigiani and Bruno Correa, while Jonty Elmes scored for New Zealand. Elmes later completed his second straight hat-trick to give New Zealand a 3-2 advantage before Correa equalized in the 40th minute. Neither team found the net in the final quarter, leaving both with four points from two matches.
Netherlands Near Quarterfinal Berth
The Netherlands moved closer to securing a last-eight spot with a comprehensive 6-0 win over Malaysia, placing them atop Pool E with six points. Casper van der Veen scored twice from open play, while Joppe Wolbert converted two penalty corners. Thies Bakker and Tjeerd Boermans added a goal each. England and Malaysia remain in contention with three points each.
“I am happy that we are growing in certain aspects of the game. Our defensive discipline was a lot better than yesterday, I think… But I felt we were on the ball a little more in the first half, dominating, but in the second half, we lost that a bit. The tempo slowed down. All in all, two very good wins,” said Netherlands coach Jesse Mahieu.
“I think because of the format, we have seen a lot of the teams trying to find control because if you lose or drop points somewhere, then you can be out. So we haven’t seen the most offensive hockey yet, but I think it will come (later) in the tournament,” he added.
Bangladesh Rallies to Draw With Korea
Amirul Islam’s second hat-trick of the tournament powered Bangladesh’s comeback from a three-goal deficit to earn a 3-3 draw against Korea in Pool F. The result leaves both teams on the brink of elimination.
Korea led 3-0 by the 17th minute with goals from Minhyeok Lee and Seunghan Son. At halftime, they appeared firmly in control. But a shift in momentum after the break allowed Bangladesh to win three penalty corners, all of which Amirul converted in the 36th, 46th, and 56th minutes. Both sides pushed desperately for a winner in the closing minutes, but the match ended level.
