The Australian men’s team suffered a loss to Croatia 11-10 in a close loss during the 2026 World Cup. The match was hard-fought 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 in the final moments and propelled 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 disheartening but the team showed grit. 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 knockout setbacks on the women’s side. Fans watched a competitive showdown that highlighted the depth of the field. The match was well-contested.