The Finnish national hockey team defeated the reigning world champion, the United States, in a match of the third round of the group stage of the 2026 World Championship, which is underway in Switzerland.
The US team arrived at the 2026 World Cup in Switzerland as the reigning world champion, having won gold medals at the previous championship in 2025. The American team, along with the Finnish team, are traditionally among the main contenders for reaching the final stages of major international tournaments, particularly after the 2026 Olympic Games in February, where the US won gold and Finland won bronze.
Suspilne Sport is the official broadcaster of the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Watch the matches live on the Suspilne Sport TV channel and website, as well as local Suspilne channels.
The match started with a goal by Finland in the 6th minute of the first period. Overall, the Finnish team demonstrated a higher efficiency in the realization of the chances, despite the fact that the USA prevailed in the number of shots on goal (32:28). Already in the first period, the Finns secured their advantage, scoring three goals against one for their opponents.
The key moment of the match was the beginning of the second period, when the Finns scored twice in a row against the USA, increasing the lead to 5:1. After the fifth goal conceded, the US coaching staff made a goaltender substitution: Devin Cooley came on the ice instead of Joseph Wall. In the final twenty minutes, the teams exchanged goals during the game in the numerical majority, which fixed the final advantage of Finland with a difference of four goals — 6:2.
World Cup 2026. Third round
Finland — USA 6:2 (3:1, 2:0, 1:1)
This defeat was the second for the American team: in the first round, the reigning world champions lost to the hosts of the competition, the Swiss team, with a score of 1:3.
Group A standings
- Finland — 9 points (3 matches), 13:4 (goal difference)
- Austria — 6 (2), 9:4
- Switzerland — 6 (2), 7:3
- Latvia — 3 (2), 4:4
- USA — 3 (3), 8:10
- Germany — 0 (2), 1:5
- Hungary — 0 (2), 3:8
- Great Britain — 0 (2), 3:10
After three rounds, the Finnish national team has scored the maximum nine points and leads the Group A standings. The reigning world hockey champions are in fifth place with three points, which currently leaves them outside the playoff zone, where the four strongest teams from the top eight advance.
The United States will next face Germany, while Finland will face Latvia. Both matches will take place on May 20 and 21, respectively.