- As we count down to the highly anticipated FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026, we take a closer look at the competing men's and women's teams ready to battle for global supremacy. In this special preview series, we profile each nation's journey to the tournament, examining their road to qualification, historic achievements, key players to watch, and the tactical minds leading them into the ultimate hockey showcase. Today we are introducing PAN American Cup's runner-up team of 2025 i.e. the girls from United States currently ranked #11 in the world.
"VAN" (Sports Desk - 16.07.2026) :: Having already qualified for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 as hosts, the United States knew that competing at this year's global hockey showpiece would be a valuable step in their Olympic preparations.
They secured their place at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 with a brilliant display at the Pan American Cup 2025 in Montevideo (URU). The Americans topped their pool with emphatic victories over Mexico (10-0), Chile (5-2) and Trinidad & Tobago (5-0), setting up a semi-final meeting with host nation Uruguay. The sides could not be separated in regular time, but Goalkeeper of the Tournament Kelsey Bing proved the difference in the shoot-out, making two crucial saves while Abby Tamer, Reese D'Ariano, Ryleigh Heck and Sophia Gladieux all scored to send the United States into the gold medal match. The result returned them to the World Cup fold after missing out on qualification for the 2022 tournament in Spain and the Netherlands.
Although Argentina – their great Pan American rivals and Pool B opponents at this event – emerged victorious in the final, the positives in Montevideo far outweighed the negatives. Beth Yeager finished joint second in the scoring charts with four goals, one ahead of teammates Tamer and Heck, who each contributed three to the Americans' 16-goal haul.
The United States arrive at this tournament on the back of a bronze-medal finish at the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2026 in Auckland (NZL). Ashley Sessa was one of the standout performers, finishing joint top of the scoring charts with six goals, including two in her side's 3-2 victory over Chile in the bronze-medal match.
Nickname: United Eagles
How they qualified: 2nd place – Pan American Cup 2025, Montevideo (URU)
Notable honours: Olympic bronze medallists (1984), Hockey World Cup bronze medallists (1994), Hockey Champions Trophy bronze medallists (1995, 2016), Hockey Champions Challenge gold medallists (2014), 2x Pan American Games gold medallists (2011, 2015), 6x Pan American Games silver medallists (1987, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2023), 2x Pan American Games bronze medallists (1991, 2019), 5x Pan American Cup silver medallists (2001, 2004, 2009, 2013, 2025).
Rank in previous WC editions: 1983 - 6th, 1986 – 9th, 1990 – 12th, 1994 – 3rd, 1998 – 8th, 2002 – 9th, 2006 – 6th, 2014 – 4th, 2018 – 14th
Head coach: David Passmore. Appointed August 2022, David Passmore successfully steered the United States team through qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and is heavily focused on long-term squad development heading towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The Englishman has a fine reputation at international level, having been assistant coach to England & Great Britain (1999-2005) and head coach of Ireland men from (2004-2009).
Quote: Head Coach, David Passmore - "We are really looking forward to this tournament and the opportunity to test ourselves against the world’s best. Having missed out on the 2022 World Cup the team are really excited to build on the progress made that we saw at times in the Nations Cup. We have a tough group but feel confident we can match any team on our day.”
One to watch: Ashley Hoffman. One of the United States most experienced campaigners, 29-year-old defender Ashley Hoffman has represented her country with distinction for almost a decade. A member of the US squads that competed at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and 2018 FIH Hockey World Cup in London (ENG), Hoffman is the daughter of Brenda Hoffman (née Stauffer), who won Olympic bronze with the United States at Los Angeles 1984.
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