Men's FIH Pro League 2025-26: India humbled as ruthless Argentina put eight past hosts in Rourkela
(Courtesy : Hockey India)
Tomas Domene scored four goals for the visitors.
India succumbed to an 8-0 defeat against Argentina in the Rourkela leg of Men’s FIH Pro League 2025–26 on Thursday at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium. Tomas Domene (15’, 20’, 26’, 60’), Tomas Ruiz (14’), Lucio Mendez (22’), Ignacio Ibarra (25′), and Nicolas della Torre (30’) scored goals for the visitors.
It was an engaging start to the game with India beginning the game on the front foot, looking to make inroads in the early exchanges. After a spell of possession, the hosts had the opportunity to draw first blood towards the end of the first quarter, having been awarded a penalty stroke.
However, Harmanpreet Singh was denied from the spot by the Argentine goalkeeper. Argentina scored almost instantly with Tomas Ruiz (14’) powering his tomahawk into the back of the net to give his side the lead.
Also Read: India vs Argentina Highlights, FIH Pro League 2025-26
The visitors quickly doubled their advantage as Tomas Domene (15’) managed to guide his effort past Suraj Karkera to give his side a 2-0 lead in the opening quarter.
Looking for a way back into the game, India began the second quarter by putting pressure back on Argentina. Shilanand Lakra and Harmanpreet Singh did well to earn a couple of penalty corners but the hosts couldn’t quite find their opening goal.
With momentum on their side, Argentina continued to pile on the pressure. Tomas Domene (20’) tripled their lead with a composed finish, and Lucio Mendez (22’) soon added a fourth.
Ignacio Ibarra (25’) rifled his shot from a tight angle to score a fifth, while Tomas Domene (26’) completed his hat-trick soon after. Nicolas della Torre (30’) also got on the scoresheet, closing out the first half with a 7-0 lead for Argentina.
Also Read: Men’s FIH Pro League 2025-26: India’s schedule, fixtures, results, live streaming details
India showed enough character in the second half, creating some notable opportunities with Shilanand Lakra and Aditya Lalage coming close to finding the back of the net. However, Tomas Santiago stood tall in goal for Argentina. Despite creating scoring opportunities, an evenly contested third quarter ended in a goalless manner.
The hosts pushed forward in the final quarter, earning their third penalty corner of the match. However, Argentina managed to find the back of the net against the run of play with Tomas Domene (60’) adding a fourth goal to his tally, and giving his side an 8-0 win.
All India matches of FIH Men’s Pro League 2025-26 Rourkela leg will be broadcast on Star Sports Khel and JioHotstar, while other matches will be streamed live on Jio Hotstar.
What was the result of the India vs Argentina match in Men’s FIH Pro League 2025-26?
Argentina mauled India 8-0 in their FIH Pro League meeting.
Who were the goalscorers in the India vs Argentina match in Men’s FIH Pro League 2025-26?
While India drew a blank, omas Domene (15’, 20’, 26’, 60’), Tomas Ruiz (14’), Lucio Mendez (22’), Ignacio Ibarra (25′), and Nicolas della Torre (30’) scored goals for the visitors.
How does the points table look after the India vs Argentina match in Men’s FIH Pro League 2025-26?
Argentina climbed to fourth spot following their massive win over India. They have 14 points from six matches while India are second from bottom after two games, without a point. Belgium are the top while Pakistan are at the bottom.
When will Indian men’s hockey team next be in action?
India will return to action on February 14 (Saturday) when they face Belgium in the reverse fixture in FIH Pro League.
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Alex graduated in mass communication in 2016 and has been covering global sports for Khel Now since then. He is covering sports tech, igaming, sports betting and casino domain from 2017.