While the champions have already been determined, there was still plenty at stake on the penultimate day of FIH Hockey Pro League action in Berlin and Antwerp on Saturday.
England’s women’s side ensured they’ll be playing in next season’s tournament thanks to a 1-0 victory over Germany, while India suffered another defeat, this time at the hands of China.
In the men’s tournament, the intrigue lay in the final clash of the day between Germany and Spain, with both sides battling for the one FIH Hockey World Cup qualification spot on offer. It was the Spaniards who kept their hopes alive with a nail-biting shootout victory after a tightly contested encounter.
(Women’s) China 3 – 0 India
China posted a hard-fought 3-0 victory over India, who again looked dangerous but couldn’t find their finishing touch in Berlin.
After a tight start to the match, it was the Chinese who gained the advantage in the second quarter. Savita showed good form in the pads for India, and it needed a high-quality penalty corner deflection from Chen Yang to beat her in the 21st minute. Zhang Ying added a drag flick in the 26th to make it 2-0 at half time.
India dominated most of the third quarter, doing everything but score a goal. They then conceded one in the 45th minute when Yu Anhui tapped in after a Chinese counterattack. With a little over five minutes remaining, China conceded a penalty stroke and a 10-minute yellow card, but India failed to capitalise as Deepika struck the post. The result leaves India at the bottom of the standings with very little hope of avoiding relegation.
The player of the match went to China’s Chen Yang, who said: “Today our execution was very good and we organised our structure very well, and we played more like a team, so that’s why we won.”
(Women’s) Belgium 0 – 2 Netherlands
Champions the Netherlands claimed a comfortable 2-0 victory over neighbours Belgium in Antwerp.
Elodie Picard had a busy first half in goal for Belgium, being tested repeatedly by Dutch attacks. Yibbi Jansen eventually found the back of the net for the Netherlands with her 30th-minute drag flick, and although the Belgians had looked more settled in the second quarter, they still hadn’t created a circle entry and trailed 1-0 at half time.
The Dutch continued to dominate in the third quarter and doubled their lead in the 42nd minute with an exquisite goal. Freeke Moes popped a short overhead to Felice Albers near the right post, and she slipped it across goal for Fay van der Elst to steer it in. Both teams had their opportunities as the clock ticked down, but ultimately, the Dutch had done enough to secure their 13th win of the season.
Pien Sanders of the Netherlands was named the player of the match and said: “Belgium is always a tough opponent and two-zero it’s good, and I think tomorrow we can do better, but for today it was okay.”
(Women’s) Germany 0 – 1 England
England came out tops in the battle to avoid relegation with a riveting 1-0 win over hosts Germany in Berlin. That leaves Germany and India to fight it out at the bottom of the table, although the odds are now heavily stacked against the Indian side.
Sabbie Heesh had to make an early one-on-one save in goal for England before her team got on the front foot. Elizabeth Neal opened the scoring for them from a penalty corner rebound in the sixth minute. Germany became stronger as the first half ticked away, but England held a 1-0 lead at the long break.
The Germans started the third quarter with much more urgency, and Heesh saw plenty of action in goal, before play started to ebb and flow. There was late drama as Germany raised their level, surging forward in a desperate bid to find a goal. The spotlight ultimately fell on Heesh, who saved a penalty stroke with 100 seconds remaining, and then made a save on the final hooter to carry England safely into next year’s competition.
England’s goalkeeper Sabbie Heesh was named player of the match and said: “Very relieved. We came here to get two wins, and obviously today I think we’ve confirmed Pro League for next year, so that’s obviously super important for us, but we go again tomorrow, and we are definitely looking for three points again.”
(Men’s) Belgium 3 – 1 England
Belgium dominated all the stats in their comprehensive 3-1 win over England in Antwerp.
After a hotly contested start, it was the Belgians who assumed control from the end of the first quarter. Roman Duvekot opened the scoring in the 13th minute when he received a great ball at the top of the circle and hammered it home with a big reverse strike. Belgium besieged England’s circle on either side of the first break, and Alexander Hendrickx doubled their lead with a drag flick in the 20th minute for the hosts to take a comfortable 2-0 lead into half time.
James Mazarelo made a series of excellent saves as Belgium continued to dominate the third period, and it took a deflection off a defender from a recycled penalty corner for Victor Wegnez to eventually beat him in the 42nd minute. Mazarelo then made another superb double save before Jacob Payton pulled one back for England, following his pass and slapping in first time from the p-spot in the 48th. The Belgians had a golden opportunity to extend their lead even further, but Hendrickx pushed a penalty stroke wide. The English pulled their goalkeeper out to have a full go with five minutes left, and even successfully defended a penalty corner, but they couldn’t find another goal.
The player of the match was awarded to Belgium’s Guillaume Hellin, who said: “Everyone in our team had a lot of fun today, so it was really nice to play… I think especially in the first half we played really, really well and then if you can score, the second, third and fourth goal, the game is over, but that’s for tomorrow – the chances and goals.”
(Men’s) Germany 1 – 1 Spain (SO: 0 – 3)
Spain played out an exciting 1-1 draw with Germany and went on to clinch the shootout 3-0 for a critical bonus point. The result means that a FIH Hockey World Cup spot is still within their grasp when they face Germany again on Sunday.
There was almost nothing to separate the teams after a goalless first half, although Germany’s goalkeeper Joshua Onyekwue Nnaji was kept busy under the helmet as Spain created better opportunities.
The third quarter saw Germany dominate the opening and closing exchanges while Spain owned the middle period. A sensational diving save by Onyekwue Nnaji kept the scores level heading into the final quarter, and the stage was set for a thrilling finish. Pol Cabre Verdiell struck a first-time slap for Spain off a counterattack in the 46th minute, and with time ticking away Germany eventually had no choice but to pull their keeper off with 150 seconds remaining. The move paid off as Michel Struthoff found the equaliser in the 59th minute, receiving the ball inside the circle and turning quickly to hammer it in.
The stakes couldn’t have been higher in the shootout, and it was Spain who held their nerve to claim a vital extra point.
The player of the match was awarded to Rafael Vilallonga of Spain, who said: “We expect to win the game tomorrow, and let’s see if we can have the ticket to the World Cup.”
Current Hero Top Scorers:
Women – Yibbi Jansen (NED) (18 goals)
Men – Tom Boon (BEL) (19 goals)
To see the current standings in the FIH Hockey Pro League, click here.
FIH Hockey Pro League – 28 June 2025
Ernst Reuter Sportfeld, Berlin, Germany (GER)
Women
Result: Match 67 (W)
China 3 – 0 India
Player of the match: Chen Yang (CHN)
Umpires: Hideki Kinoshita (JPN), Emi Yamada (JPN), Paul van den Assum (NED-video)
Result: Match 68 (W)
Germany 0 – 1 England
Player of the match: Sabbie Heesh (ENG)
Umpires: Ayanna McClean (TTO), Magali Sergeant (BEL), Hideki Kinoshita (JPN-video)
Men
Result: Match 70 (M)
Germany 1 – 1 Spain (SO: 0 – 3)
Player of the match: Rafael Vilallonga (ESP)
Umpires: Kristy Robertson (AUS), Paul van den Assum (NED), Hannah Harrison (ENG-video)
Sportcentrum Wilrijkse Plein-Antwerp, Belgium (BEL)
Women
Result: Match 69 (W)
Belgium 0 – 2 Netherlands
Player of the match: Pien Sanders (NED)
Umpires: Ben Goentgen (GER), Ivona Makar (CRO), Ole Ingwersen (GER-video)
Men
Result: Match 69 (M)
Belgium 3 – 1 England
Player of the match: Guillaume Hellin (BEL)
Umpires: Ole Ingwersen (GER), Kamile Mockaityte (LTU), Ivona Makar (CRO-video)
