The Australian men’s team experienced a loss to Croatia 11-10 in a narrow loss during the 2026 World Cup. The match was hard-fought and decided by a single goal. They won a vital sudden-death shootout against Spain earlier by 14-13 to advance past groups. The victory came in the final moments and catapulted them into the knockout round. Australia then lost in the hard-fought semifinals to Croatia. In the semifinal, the Australians could not recover against the Croatians. The defeat was disheartening but the team showed resilience. China and Hungary played for seventh place after both teams went out in initial knockout games on the women’s side. The two nations contended for seventh place after first-round losses on the women’s side. Fans watched a hard-fought showdown that showcased the depth of the field. The match was well-contested.