Who will India face in the second round of FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2026?
(Courtesy : Hockey India)
The Indian men’s hockey team are place in pool E in the second round
The Indian men’s hockey team has sealed their spot in the second round of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026, following a 5-3 victory against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen (Netherlands) on Wednesday.
The World Number #7 side weren’t at their best defensively, making silly errors. However, they eventually just had enough to go past their neighbors.
By virtue of this result, India finished second in pool D with six points from three matches. Craig Fulton’s side started their campaign with a convincing 3-1 win against Wales. However, they were beaten 2-4 by a much superior England side in the second fixture.
Who will India face in the second round of FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026?
Catch Every Update, Anytime, Anywhere
India has been drawn into pool E, along with England and the two best teams from pool A—Netherlands and Argentina.
Netherlands, co-hosts of the competition, finished with a perfect record in the pool stage to secure the top spot, beating New Zealand (5-1), Argentina (3-1) and Japan (4-1).
The South American nation, on the other hand, hammered Japan (4-0) and New Zealand (7-1) to pocket the other spot.
India, champions in 1975, will be up against three-time winners Netherlands on Saturday and then 2014 bronze medallist Argentina on Monday.
Related: Who will India face in the second round of FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026?
It is worth noting that India’s result against England in the first stage will be carried forward, implying that India will start off with 0 points and a goal difference of -2, while England will have three points and a goal difference of +2.
Netherlands will also have similar points and goal difference as England, while Argentina are same as India before things get underway in the second round.
What this means is that the Craig Fulton-coached side would have to win both their encounters to have a strong probability of qualifying for the semi-final. One draw will significantly weaken their chances, while a worse result will virtually rule them out.
The task at hand isn’t easy considering that the Dutch are the reigning Olympic champions, while Argentina handed India their joint-worst defeat (0-8) earlier this year.
Harmanpreet Singh’s side does have the quality in their ranks to challenge the best in the world. However, they would have to find some rhythm and look to peak at the right time.
Which teams will India face in the second round of FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026?
India will be up against England, Netherlands and Argentina in the second round. Given that they have already played England in round 1, the Indian men’s hockey team will face Netherlands and Argentina next.
How can India reach the semi-finals of FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026?
Given they start on 0 points and a goal difference of -2, India will need to win both their matches in Pool E and finish in the top two of the group to enter the semi-finals. India are currently third in Pool E.
Who will India face next in the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026?
India will be up against Netherlands in their second match in stage 2 of the competition. The match will be played on August 22 (Saturday) and is scheduled to start at 7:30 pm IST.
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram
Kartik Warrier, a B.Tech Mechanical Engineering student at IIT Madras, is an ardent sports enthusiast. Through Khel Now, he gets to pursue his passion by closely following Indian athletes in sports like cricket, football, badminton, hockey, and table tennis.