The Australian men’s team suffered a loss to Croatia 11-10 in a narrow loss during the 2026 World Cup. The match was gritty and decided by a single goal. They won a key sudden-death shootout against Spain earlier by 14-13 to advance past groups. The victory came after a tense rally and catapulted them into the knockout round. Australia then lost in the tough semifinals to Croatia. In the semifinal, the Australians could not recover against the Croatians. The defeat was hard-hitting 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 battled for seventh place after first-round losses on the women’s side. Fans watched a competitive showdown that showcased the depth of the field. The match was well-contested.