The Argentine Open Polo Championship, the most important tournament in the sport worldwide, moves forward with excitement and intensity in a year in which 9 of its 10 participating teams have renewed their lineups compared to 2024, with La Dolfina II being the only one to keep its original foursome fully intact. As the decisive day of the qualifying stage approaches, there are both certainties and unanswered questions about the tournament’s outlook.
On one hand, among the favorites to reach the final, the team that stands out the most is, without a doubt, La Natividad La Dolfina. They arrive not only undefeated in this Open ahead of Wednesday’s match against UAE Polo Team, but also boasting a 10-game winning streak in this Triple Crown season, including titles in Hurlingham and Tortugas. They are the strongest contenders at the moment, backed not only by their string of victories but also by the handicaps of their players —all rated at 10 goals, the highest ranking— and their outstanding horse power, an absolutely decisive factor in polo, similar to Formula 1, where the car is key to a driver's aspirations. Here, great horses allow you to dream big.
The performances of Adolfo Cambiaso, his nephews Barto and Camilo Castagnola, and his son Poroto have lived up to the expectations set when the team was formed and confirmed back in December 2024. Facing them will be UAE Polo Team, who also won their three matches in this Argentine Open and who lost to La Natividad La Dolfina in the final of the Hurlingham Open. They have yet to find their best performance in Palermo, but they know semifinals are a different story, and they are confident they can deliver an upset on the iconic Field 1. Polito Pieres, Lucas Monteverde, Tomás Panelo, and Juan Martín Nero will seek to give UAE Polo Team a spot in the grand final in what is the first-ever participation of Sheikha Maitha Al Maktoum’s organization in the Argentine Triple Crown.
The other ticket to the final will be decided between La Irenita La Hache and Ellerstina Indios Chapaleufú. La Irenita comes off a loss in their latest match, against La Hache Cría & Polo, but that did not prevent them from arriving with chances to this decisive Thursday clash. If they win, they will reach the final. Expectations hinge on the return of 13-time Argentine Open champion Pablo Mac Donough, who missed the last two matches due to injury. Alongside him, Hilario Ulloa —the tournament’s top scorer— Francisco Elizalde, and South African Nachi Du Plessis will try to cap their inconsistent season by reaching the most important match on the international calendar.
Facing them will be Ellerstina Indios Chapaleufú, the team that has performed best against La Natividad La Dolfina and has also shown many moments of excellent polo. Finalists in Tortugas, their first goal of the season was to reach the Palermo final; the ultimate goal, the title. The union of two giants of world polo —the Pieres and the Heguys— has yielded results, and on paper they come in as favorites for this semifinal. Facundo Pieres, Antonio Heguy, Gonzalo Pieres, and Cruz Heguy are having a strong Argentine Open, but they know that everything resets on Thursday as they seek a place in the grand final.
Palermo will also witness key matches at the lower end of the standings: La Zeta Kazak —against Los Machitos on Wednesday— and La Dolfina II —against La Ensenada on Thursday— must win if they hope to qualify directly for the 2026 Triple Crown. If both win, they will face each other in a tiebreaker to determine who will play a Play-off game against La Aguada, the recent winner of the Cámara de Diputados Cup. If both lose, the team earning that spot will be Sol de Agosto, currently in eighth place in the season’s overall standings. If only one of them wins, that team will qualify for the aforementioned Repechaje for a place in the 2026 Triple Crown.
A truly compelling scenario, with four unmissable matches, and all eyes already set on the grand final this weekend.
