India began its FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 second-round campaign with a 1-3 loss to host Netherlands on Saturday.
While the Dutch have boosted their chances of making the semifinals with this win, the Harmanpreet Singh-led Indian team is not yet out of contention for a berth in the last four. India had advanced to the second stage of the competition after finishing second in Pool D.
How can India qualify for the Hockey World Cup semifinals?
Despite losing to the Dutch, India still has a chance to make the semifinals of the World Cup. And Argentina’s 3-1 win over England has handed the Craig Fulton-coached side a boost. The Indians needed the Argentines to beat the English, and they got the result in their favour.
| Team | Matches | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored | Goals against | Goal difference | Points |
| Netherlands | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| England | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Argentina | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| India | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 0 |
With Netherlands still not yet in the last four, the semifinalists from this pool will be decided on Monday, August 24.
In the first match of that day, India will have to beat Argentina by at least four goals to stay in the race. If it wins with a lesser margin then other results and tiebreakers will come into play.
Moreover, the Indians will have to hope that Netherlands beats England in the second match of the day.
Published on Aug 22, 2026
