Mon 6th Jul 2026Italy Finally Goes all the Way in Chantilly Third time’s the charm for Italy in The Polo Nations Cup BARNES
After finishing runners-up and Semi Finalists in the previous two tournaments, Riccardo Paganelli’s side delivered when it mattered most, defeating two-time defending champions Occitanie to win their first Polo Nations Cup BARNES title at Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly after a close and unpredictable Final played on Friday 3 July.
Italy started strongly, racing into a 3-0 lead, but Occitanie fought back and briefly took control at the end of the third chukka. Things were tied up at 6-6 by the end of the fourth, but an intense final chukka saw Italy regain their lead and push through to the final 9-8 victory.
Most Valuable Player Tomás Delfino said Italy’s key was applying early pressure, "We wanted to put them under pressure from the very beginning. Then, once the game opened up a little and they came back at us, we started moving the ball better again and tightened up defensively. That's when we regained control of the match."
The Polo Nations Cup BARNES closes the first major chapter of Chantilly’s international grass season, with the Coquetier d’Or next on the calendar before September’s Open de France BARNES.
The Polo Nations Cup BARNES Final Teams:
Italy (12): Riccardo Paganelli (0), Tomás Delfino (5), Bautista Fanelli (3) & Jerónimo Fanelli (4)
Occitanie (12): Isabelle Larenaudie (0), Elouan Badarello (2), Simón Zavaleta (6) & Ramiro Zavaleta (4)
Photograph: Tomas Delfino, the Most Valuable Player of the Final and the breakout star of the first half of the season in Chantilly. By Justine Jacquemot
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