Argentina defeated hosts the Netherlands 3-1 in a penalty shootout to clinch their third Women's Hockey World Cup title
Dutch forward Yibbi Jansen opened the scoring, Maria Granatto scored the crucial equaliser for Argentina to level the match 1-1 in regulation time
The victory marks Argentina's first World Cup championship since 2010, avenging their final defeat to the Dutch four years ago
Argentina clinched the Women's Hockey World Cup on Saturday, vanquishing hosts the Netherlands 3-1 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
The Netherlands entered the final match as both the tournament hosts and the overwhelming favourites to retain their crown.
This triumph marks Argentina's third World Cup title overall. The hard-fought victory also secures their first championship since 2010.
Shootout Seals Victory
The Dutch chased a fourth consecutive World Cup title and took early control of the match. Yibbi Jansen converted on 30 minutes to give the Netherlands the lead. The strike marked her eighth goal of the tournament, making her the top scorer.
Argentina surged back late in the second half. Maria Granatto scored the equaliser on 54 minutes to level the game and force a decisive penalty shootout. Prior to this final, the head-to-head shootout record between Argentina and the Netherlands in Olympics and World Cups was 2-0 in favour of Argentina.
The shootout victory provides sweet revenge for Argentina. The South American side suffered a bitter defeat to the Dutch in the World Cup final four years ago.
Belgium Claim Bronze
Earlier on Saturday, Belgium outclassed Australia 1-0 in the third-place playoff to secure the bronze medal.
Charlotte Englebert scored the match's only goal to seal the victory for Belgium. Englebert was named the tournament's Best Player (MVP), while Australia's Jocelyn Bartram was awarded Best Goalkeeper, and Argentina's Zoe Díaz was named Best Young Player.
The resilient performance earns the Belgian squad their first World Cup bronze medal since 1978.
