Sotogrande's 2026 Season Opens With Record International Entry
Santa María Polo Club opens the European high-goal season with 32 teams from 12 countries and a record prize fund as Argentine professionals return after the South American season.
Santa María Polo Club has confirmed a record entry for its 2026 high-goal season, with 32 teams from 12 countries registered across the Gold Cup, Silver Cup, and Copa de Bronce — the largest international field in the Sotogrande circuit's history. The season opens in late June and runs through to the Gold Cup final in early August, providing six weeks of competitive polo on the Andalusian grounds that have made Sotogrande Europe's most celebrated polo destination.
The record international entry reflects the continued growth of European polo and the particular appeal of the Sotogrande circuit for patron teams from the UK, USA, Gulf states, and South America. Twelve nations are represented in the entry list, with strong contingents from France, Switzerland, Germany, and the UAE joining the traditional core of British and Spanish patron teams.
Argentine professionals have returned in force following the conclusion of the South American season in December. Several of the sport's highest-rated players are confirmed for the Gold Cup, with teams expected to feature multiple 10-goalers competing at the 22-goal level that characterises Sotogrande's flagship event. The prize fund for the 2026 Gold Cup has increased by 30 percent on the previous year, reflecting both the tournament's growing commercial profile and the investment of new corporate sponsors drawn to the Mediterranean luxury market.
Santa María Polo Club chairman confirmed that ground improvements undertaken during the winter months have left the main Gold Cup fields in the best condition in a decade, with enhanced irrigation systems and new turf management protocols designed to maintain playing surfaces through Andalusia's intense summer heat.
For spectators, the 2026 season offers expanded hospitality options and a new public viewing zone on the main Gold Cup field that will allow non-member spectators to attend matches for the first time, reflecting the club's strategy of growing polo's audience beyond its traditional membership base.