India knocked Pakistan out and advances to the second stage of the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup. Skipper Harmanpreet Singh and Abhishek scored a brace each to help India beat arch-rivals Pakistan at 5-3.
The much-awaited India and Pakistan clash, hockey’s most historic rivalry, took centre stage when they met in a crucial Pool D match at the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands. Harmanpreet struck twice from two penalty corners in the fifth and 21st minutes, while Abhishek's two fine field goals came in the 11th and 24th minutes. Vice-captain Hardik Singh also scored from a penalty stroke in the 35th minute.
The match marked the first World Cup meeting between the two sides in 16 years. India had beaten Pakistan 4-1 in the 2010 edition in New Delhi.
The match resulted in both India and England qualifying for the second round from Pool D. India, however, will carry no points into the next stage after losing to England in the opening round.
The 10,000-capacity Wagener Stadium was a packed house for the crucial match, which is particularly significant as India needed at least a draw to secure their place in the next round, while Pakistan had to win to remain in the match series.
Looking at the history between the two, Pakistan had inflicted a painful 7-1 defeat on India in the 1982 Asian Games final held at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi. In 2010, India returned to the same venue and beat Pakistan 4-1 in the opening match of the World Cup. The two sides clashed again after a gap of 16 years, making the match more interesting.
