With a total of 8 penalties and under the direction of Chef d’Équipe Edouard Couperie, France secured victory in the opening qualifier of the 2026 Longines League of Nations™ in Abu Dhabi.
The winning team — Simon Delestre aboard Golden Boy DK, Olivier Perreau with GL Events Dorai d’Aiguilly, Nicolas Sers riding Eleven de Riverland, and Jeanne Sadran partnered with Dexter de Kerglenn — led the leaderboard from the first round and sealed the win in the final course, confirming their dominance in the season opener.
Germany finished second on 12 penalties, while Brazil completed the podium in third place, also on 12 penalties, with the placings decided by aggregate time.
Switzerland placed fourth, followed by the host nation, the United Arab Emirates, in fifth. Ireland finished sixth, and the defending champions, Great Britain, concluded the competition in seventh place. The United States withdrew following an elimination in round two, while Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands did not advance to the second round.
The event, staged at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, launched the international league calendar, which will culminate with the Final next October (1–4) at the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona.
