Men's Hockey Asia Cup 2025: What India must do to secure Hockey World Cup 2026 spot?

India last won Hockey World Cup was in 1975.

The last time the Indian men’s hockey team lifted the Hockey World Cup trophy was in 1975, just four years after the tournament’s inception. Since then, the Men in Blue have played in every edition but haven’t managed to win the cup again.

Craig Fulton’s men will aim to reclaim that lost glory in the next edition at Belgium and Netherlands. But they must first get there to have a shot at the title.

India are yet to qualify for the 2026 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup.

The Men in Blue had an opportunity to do so by winning the FIH Pro League in either of the last two editions but returned with seventh (2023-24) and eighth (2024-25) place finishes respectively.

Australia qualified for the World Cup as the 2024 FIH Pro League champions while Spain took that spot in this year’s tournament.

𝘾𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙍𝙖𝙟𝙜𝙞𝙧! 🏑The Super 4s battle for the Final heats up as India face China and Malaysia meets Korea in must-win encounters.#HockeyIndia #IndiaKaGame #HumseHaiHockey #HeroAsiaCupRajgir | @CMO_Odisha @sports_odisha @IndiaSports @Media_SAI… pic.twitter.com/xAwYM95e5J

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) September 6, 2025

India’s best chance of earning the Hockey World Cup spot now is through the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup 2025, which is currently underway at the Bihar Sports University Hockey Stadium in the Rajgir Sports Complex.

Last time in 2023, India didn’t need to qualify since they were given direct entry as the tournament hosts.

But that campaign ended in disappointment with a ninth-place finish, tied with New Zealand.

Since their lone World Cup win in ’75, India’s best results came in 1982 and 1994, both times finishing fifth. They have consistently struggled to get past the quarter-final stage. In 2023, India didn’t even make it to the last eight

How can India qualify for 2026 Men’s Hockey World Cup?

The answer is very simple, win the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup 2025 in Rajgir.

The Harmanpreet Singh-led side are off to a great start already. India topped their group in the pool stage with a perfect 3–0 record, beating China, Japan, and Kazakhstan.

Then in the Super 4s, they started with a 2–2 draw with South Korea, followed by a dominant 4–1 win over Malaysia.

Now, the hosts face a crucial match against China on Saturday. A win will book their place in the final set to be held on September 7, Sunday.

If India go all the way to win the title, they will earn a spot in the 2026 World Cup, directly.

India are the favourites to win the upcoming match, having defeated China 4-3 in their previous group-stage encounter.

India’s dominance in Men’s Hockey Asia Cup 2025 so far

India are currently leading the Super 4s table with 4 points—one win and one draw ahead of China and Malaysia who trail with 3 points each, including one win and one loss. Below are some stats from India’s performance in Rajgir.

• Goals Scored: 28 (highest in the tournament)
• Goals Conceded: 8
• Penalty Corners Converted: 11
• Penalty Strokes Scored: 2

India have won the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup titles three times earlier in 2003, 2007, and 2017 and finished runners-up five times. They are regarded one of the powerhouse in Asia and most consistent teams in the tournament, having played in 8 of the 11 finals held so far.

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