Ireland men's hockey secures win over Malaysia after Spain defeat

The Ireland men’s hockey team experienced contrasting results during their 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup campaign in Wavre, Belgium. In a critical group match, Ireland fell 3-1 to Spain. Despite a penalty stroke by Lee Cole that leveled the score at 1-1, Spain secured the victory with two goals from Marc Reyne in the final quarter.

Following the defeat, Ireland rebounded in their Pool H classification match with a 7-4 victory over Malaysia. Jonny Lynch led the scoring with a hattrick, supported by goals from Matthew Nelson and Ben Walker. While Malaysia attempted a comeback in the third quarter, Ireland maintained control to secure the win.