Argentina’s women’s national field hockey team, also known as Las Leonas, is arguably the country's strongest women’s sports team—and one of the world’s most dominant. The squad's most recent successes include its 3-0 Pan American Cup final victory this past weekend over the United States in Montevideo, Uruguay, along with a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

Las Leonas have won every single Pan American Cup since its inception in 2001—seven consecutive titles. They have also been in five World Cup finals and won World Cup titles in 2002 and 2010.

So why don’t we think of field hockey when we think of Argentina?

Maybe because field hockey remains a pretty niche sport in the US, especially among men. While women play field hockey here at home, it’s not nearly as popular as other team sports. But that’s not the case in Argentina. 

In Argentina, field hockey is one of the most popular women’s sports. And the women who have won medals for their country have often been regarded as national heroes.

Domestic Investment and Fighting Poverty 

Argentina has continued to excel in field hockey despite not having the same economic resources as a country like the United States. Las Leonas underlines the importance of cultural and societal prioritization, and shows that “funding” alone isn’t going to make or break a sport’s success or popularity. 

Field hockey is generally considered an elitist or expensive sport here in the United States, partially because it requires equipment to play. But even in the midst of economic strife in Argentina, the sport became increasingly available to people of varying economic backgrounds as it was more normalized and young Argentinian girls found more support to compete at a competitive level. Now, the whole country has committed to making field hockey a part of their culture. 

"When I think of Las Leonas, I think of hunger to win, in union, commitment," current national team member Sofía Toccalino, who is also known as Poy, told Hola magazine. “Today, we are in a complicated context at the country level, and it is leaving that aside to think only about the jersey and the dedication to this team." 

National Pride

The women’s national team’s success has motivated more young girls to take up the sport, and its increasing popularity has encouraged government officials to open more fields and facilities for girls to participate.

"I was part of a generation that watched Las Leonas on television, they were my role models, so I feel proud to be part of this team today that so many women and girls follow," Toccalino said. "Wherever you go to play in the interior of the country, they go crazy for Las Leonas, so it is very important to be up to par on and off the field."

Las Leonas teach young women and girls in Argentina not to let their economic situations define them. The team teaches the whole world that when it comes to field hockey, we should all be on alert about Argentina.