Final ends level after late drama
In a tense final at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen on Saturday, the Netherlands and Argentina were locked at 1-1 after regulation time. The Dutch took the lead just before half-time when Yibbi Jansen converted a penalty corner, her eighth goal of the tournament, making her the top scorer. Argentina pushed for an equalizer and finally broke through in the 54th minute when Maria Granatto scored from a rebound after a penalty-corner move, sending the match to a shootout.[S1][S2][S3]
Argentina leveled the score from a penalty corner with six minutes remaining, after the Dutch goalkeeper had thwarted several earlier chances. The Netherlands entered the final with a 38-match unbeaten streak, their sole defeat in that span coming against Argentina 18 months prior. That loss snapped a run of 35 victories, and the Dutch men's team had also fallen to Spain in their semi-final the day before.[S1][S2][S6]
Cosentino stars in shootout
In the shootout, Argentina took control early. Pien Sanders missed for the Netherlands, and Victoria Granatto scored to give Argentina the advantage. Goalkeeper Cristina Cosentino then made a spectacular save, and Brisa Bruggesser converted to make it 2-0. Marijn Veen scored for the Dutch, but Zoe Diaz's goal was ruled out for a back-stick infringement. Freeke Moes missed, and Sofia Cairo's goal sealed a 3-1 victory for Argentina.[S2][S3][S4]
Cosentino was named Player of the Match for her outstanding performance, making several key saves during the shootout and in regulation time. She expressed her pride in the team's achievement, noting they had been looking forward to this moment since the Olympics and previous World Cup. The victory was Argentina's third world title, having won in 2002 and 2010, and avenged their loss to the Netherlands in the 2022 final.[S4][S5]
Belgium take bronze, awards announced
Belgium secured the bronze medal earlier in the day, defeating Australia 1-0 thanks to Charlotte Englebert's penalty-corner goal in the 20th minute. This victory marked Belgium's first World Cup medal in 48 years. Englebert was subsequently named Player of the Tournament, while Yibbi Jansen received the Hero Top Scorer award for her eight goals. Australia's Jocelyn Bartram was recognized as Best Goalkeeper, and Zoe Diaz earned the JSW Rising Star honor.[S3][S5]
The awards ceremony also paid tribute to Xan de Waard, who concluded her international career in this match. With the loss, the Netherlands remain the tournament's most successful team with nine titles, while Argentina now hold three. The result prevented the Dutch from becoming the first nation to win four consecutive World Cups.[S1][S3][S5]
