This afternoon, in Mexico City, the 23rd FIFA men’s World Cup will commence on a six-week thrill ride crossing three nations.
But this summer is chock full of world-level competitions in several competitions, not the least of which are in women’s lacrosse and both genders of field hockey.
The United States has a part to play this summer, and, in one of these summer competitions, is an overwhelming favorite to win the whole enchilada.
WOMEN’S FIELD HOCKEY
August 14-30, 2026
Hosts: Belgium, Netherlands
The story of this championship is going to be who is going to be able to handle up the co-host Netherlands. The Oranje are on an international run of form in world-level competitions which may be unrivaled except perhaps by the American dominance in men’s basketball or the Soviet Union’s domination in men’s ice hockey.
How good is Holland? Since 1996, they have been on the medals stand (i.e., top three) in every single world-level they have entered except for one. On that occasion (2015), the Oranje finished fifth in the FIH World League.
The last 30 years, the Netherlands has won gold in six Champions’ Trophies, three FIH World Leagues, four Olympic Games, five FIH Pro Leagues, and four FIH World Cups. In every other tournament, they have won either silver (10 times) or bronze (10 times).
The Dutch are likely to have the “gold or bust” mentality this summer because of the quality of captain Pien Sanders and the drag-flicking of Yibbi Jansen, who has played with distinction in the Hoofdklasse and the Women’s Hockey India League.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
July 24, Aug. 2, 2026
Host: Japan
Like in the field hockey sphere, a lot of the drama is going to be able to tackle a very difficult opponent. That opponent is the United States, which currently holds top world titles in three disciplines. In field lacrosse, the States won gold four years ago in Maryland. In Sixes lacrosse, the U.S. won gold last year at the World Games in China. And to top it all off, the United States won the inaugural box lacrosse World Championship held last year in Utica.
Even with the Achilles tendon injury that has sidelined U.S. icon Charlotte North for several months, the United States has more scoring and athletic talent than perhaps any other team in the history of women’s lacrosse, if not overall in women’s sports. The Americans will be led by Marie McCool, Ally Mastroanni, Izzy Scane, Megan Taylor, Sam Apuzzo, Ally Kennedy, and Chloe Humphrey, all of whom can go off at any moment of any game in which they are a participant.
For me, the most interesting sidebar story of this World Championship is who is going to finish second. Canada has given the United States a good go in a number of world tournaments in recent year, famously winning the World Games in a Sixes tournament four years ago in Alabama.
However, with soccer becoming more and more of a draw for female athletes in some of these participating nations, it will be interesting to see if Canada, England, Australia, or even Japan can make a run at the medals.