ENGLAND CAPTURES 2026 NATIONS CUP CHAMPIONSHIP IN OCEAN CITY

OCEAN CITY, MD — England completed a perfect weekend Sunday, defeating Team USA 25-23 in a thrilling championship match to capture the 2026 Pro Footvolley Tour Nations Cup in Ocean City, Maryland.

Represented by Daine Morris and Mickey Elias, England entered Sunday’s finals as the No. 1 overall seed after going undefeated on Saturday. The English duo carried that momentum through championship Sunday, defeating Argentina in the semifinals before holding off a determined American team in a dramatic final.

Team USA, represented by Jonathan Silva and Dani Mendonca, took a much longer road to the championship match.

After finishing Saturday as the No. 3 seed, the Americans had to survive the opening crossover round and then get past Brazil before earning their opportunity to play for the Nations Cup title.

USA AND ARGENTINA ADVANCE

Sunday began with the four teams that did not receive automatic semifinal berths battling in the crossover round.

Team USA wasted little time making its intentions clear.

Silva and Mendonca dominated Geraldo Torres and Jerry Ruiz of Mexico, racing to a commanding 25-3 victory to advance to the semifinals.

Argentina’s Julian Conditi and Jose Vidal followed with a strong performance of their own, defeating Luis Sierra and Facundo Silva of Spain 25-13.

The victories sent USA and Argentina into the semifinals, where Brazil and England were waiting after earning first-round byes as Saturday’s top two seeds.

TEAM USA KNOCKS OUT BRAZIL

The first semifinal produced one of the biggest results of the weekend.

Team USA faced Brazil’s Lucas Paes and Gustavo Teodoro, with a place in the Nations Cup championship match on the line.

Brazil had earned the No. 2 seed and a direct trip to the semifinals, but Silva and Mendonca arrived with momentum after their dominant crossover victory.

The Americans delivered.

In a tightly contested match, Team USA defeated Brazil 25-22, sending the host nation into the championship match and eliminating one of the tournament’s strongest teams.

ENGLAND PUNCHES ITS TICKET TO THE FINAL

On the other side of the bracket, England continued the form that had carried Morris and Elias to the No. 1 seed.

Argentina entered the semifinal after its 25-13 crossover victory over Spain, but England proved too strong.

Morris and Elias defeated Argentina 25-17, remaining unbeaten and setting up a championship showdown between England and Team USA.

It was also a rematch.

The two countries had met during Saturday’s group stage, when England defeated the United States 25-22.

This time, the stakes were much higher.

ENGLAND AND USA DELIVER A THRILLING FINAL

The Nations Cup championship came down to two teams that had taken very different paths to get there.

England entered the final undefeated and had played only one match Sunday thanks to its semifinal bye.

Team USA had already played twice, including a physical 25-22 semifinal victory over Brazil.