King Philippe stepped out for a memorable day of international sport as Belgium celebrated a historic achievement at the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup. The monarch attended the men’s final in Wavre on Sunday, August 30, one day after the Belgian women’s national team secured its first World Cup medal in nearly five decades.
Before watching Germany face Spain for the men’s title, King Philippe met members of Belgium’s Red Panthers and congratulated them on their bronze-medal performance. Photos shared by the Belgian Royal Palace showed the King smiling and shaking hands with the athletes, who wore their team’s signature red.
The Belgian women defeated Australia 1-0 in the third-place match on Saturday, August 29. Ambre Ballenghien scored the decisive goal, helping her country earn its first Women’s Hockey World Cup medal since 1978.
“An event that has greatly contributed to putting hockey and our national teams in the spotlight,” the Royal Palace wrote on social media while celebrating the conclusion of the men’s and women’s tournaments.
© Palais royal/Koninklijk Paleis“The Red Panthers finish in a magnificent third place, a first since 1978!” the statement continued. Belgium’s men’s team, known as the Red Lions, concluded its tournament in seventh place.
King Philippe presents Germany with the trophy:
King Philippe later watched as defending champion Germany defeated Spain 1-0 in the men’s final at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre.
© Palais royal/Koninklijk PaleisGermany’s Thies Prinz scored the only goal of the closely contested match, securing a second consecutive world title for his team. Following the final whistle, the Belgian monarch participated in the presentation ceremony and handed the World Cup trophy to the newly crowned champions.
The victory marked Germany’s fourth Men’s Hockey World Cup title, equaling Pakistan’s record for the most championships in the history of the competition. Germany previously lifted the trophy in 2002, 2006 and 2023.
© Palais royal/Koninklijk PaleisThe King’s appearance capped off two weeks of competition co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands. While the men’s final unfolded in Wavre, Argentina claimed the women’s title after defeating the Netherlands in a dramatic shootout in Amstelveen.
For the Belgian hosts, however, the Red Panthers’ bronze offered an especially meaningful reason to celebrate. Their long-awaited return to the World Cup podium marked another milestone in the team’s rise and gave King Philippe a proud home achievement to honor before crowning the tournament’s international champions.
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