From June 12 to 27 for the men and from June 22 to 27 for the ladies, the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly will host the fourth edition of the Polo Nations Cup Barnes and the second edition of the OniriQ Ladies Polo Nations Cup. Ten men‘s teams and eight women‘s teams representing some of the world‘s great polo territories will gather in Chantilly as part of the club‘s 30th anniversary celebrations.
From the local vineyards of Champagne to the distant fields of Islamabad, from Córdoba to Geneva, from Tuscany to Occitanie, this unique competition brings together not so much nations as territories, regions and communities where the world‘s oldest team sport has long been part of the local culture. A genuine World Cup of Polo Regions.
The contenders
Defending champions France Occitanie will return with exactly the same line-up that lifted the trophy last year: Isabelle Larenaudie, Elouan Badarello, Ramiro Zavaleta and Simon Zavaleta (6 goalers). Standing in their way will once again be last year‘s finalists from Córdoba, led by Matias Torres Zavaleta, one of the most feared players in the tournament (7 goalers internationally and rated as high as 8 in Argentina).
Winner of the inaugural Polo Nations Cup, France-PACA (Eternal J) has recently reminded everyone that it remains a serious contender. Last Sunday, Jean-Claude Le Grand‘s team captured the Trophée Bourbon after a hard-fought final against a formidable Audaz outfit. The result firmly re-establishes the team among the favourites for the 2026 Polo Nations Cup Barnes and confirms its rise at precisely the right moment of the season, helped in particular by a carefully strengthened horse string. „We‘ll stick to the same approach: arrive with enough confidence, but not too much,“ smiles Julien Reynes. „Lifting that trophy a second time would be something pretty special.“
As is often the case, from Windsor to Chantilly, the Carmignac family will field one of the most ambitious teams in the tournament under the France Normandie banner. With Juan Guerrero (5 goalers) and Tomas Alberdi (6 goalers), the team looks particularly strong on paper and should logically be among the main contenders.
Women‘s polo on the rise
On the women‘s side, the OniriQ Ladies Polo Nations Cup continues to grow in stature with eight teams entered this year. Among them are defending champions Hauts-de-France, but also a unique Dutch side made up entirely of amateur players from the Polo Club de Chantilly itself. A fitting symbol of the spirit of transmission that has defined the club for the past thirty years.
The tournament will also welcome one of the biggest names in women‘s polo, Milagros Fernandez-Araujo (7 goalers), winner of the Argentine Women‘s Open on four occasions with La Dolfina and undoubtedly the headline act of the 2026 OniriQ Ladies Polo Nations Cup. Her father, Milo Fernandez-Araujo, also won the Argentine Open four times with the legendary Indios Chapaleufú II.
Polo enthusiasts will also keep a close eye on the family rivalry between the Venot sisters. Lucie and Pearl (4 and 6 goalers) will represent Île-de-France, while Elena (7 goalers in women‘s polo and 1 goal in mixed polo) will play for Bretagne in the ladies’ tournament and Belgium in the mixed competition.
Another innovation this year is that, for the first time, the finals of both the Polo Nations Cup Barnes and the OniriQ Ladies Polo Nations Cup will be played on a Saturday, June 27, following the tradition of the great Palermo finals in Argentina. This evolution has been made possible by the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly‘s 30th anniversary celebrations, which will continue the following day with the final of the Legends Tournament, bringing together many of the personalities who have shaped the club‘s history since its foundation.
Regular visitors know, however, that some of the finest matches are often played during the week, in a more authentic „campo“ atmosphere, close to the horses, the players and the petiseros. An ideal opportunity to discover one of the world‘s most spectacular sports in one of the largest polo complexes on the planet.
Finals Day – Saturday, June 27, 2026
A Celebration of Polo and a 30th Anniversary Weekend
For the first time, the finals of the Polo Nations Cup Barnes and the OniriQ Ladies Polo Nations Cup will be played on a Saturday, June 27.
From 2:00 pm onwards, an exceptional day awaits visitors with a public village, equestrian entertainment, the Polo Lounge, team parades, a one-hour equestrian show, the finals themselves, prize presentations, a cocktail reception, the Finals Dinner and the Polo Party.
The celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly will continue the following day, notably with the final of the Legends Tournament, bringing together several of the personalities who have shaped the club‘s history since its foundation.
2:00 pm – Opening of the Village and Polo Lounge
2:30 pm – OniriQ Ladies Polo Nations Cup Team Parade
3:00 pm – OniriQ Ladies Polo Nations Cup Final
4:00 pm – Equestrian Entertainment and Show
5:00 pm – Polo Nations Cup Barnes Team Parade
5:30 pm – Polo Nations Cup Barnes Final
6:45 pm – Prize Presentation Ceremony
7:00 pm – Cocktail Reception
8:00 pm – Finals Dinner
10:00 pm – Polo Party
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Getting to the Polo Club
Simply search for Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly in your GPS or navigation app. All major navigation systems will guide you directly to the club entrance.
Match Streaming
All Polo Nations Cup Barnes matches will be available on demand via Pololine TV. The semi-finals and finals will be broadcast live.
Results and Statistics
Live scores, results and full tournament statistics will be available on the Polo Club‘s website and via the ChukkerApp, which also provides coverage of all tournaments played at Chantilly throughout the season.
