India’s men’s hockey team lost 3-5 to Argentina in Amstelveen, ending its hopes of reaching the 2026 Hockey World Cup semi-finals after a costly slow start.

India Crash Out

India’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals of the 2026 Men’s Hockey World Cup ended on Monday after Argentina defeated the Harmanpreet Singh-led side 5-3 in Amstelveen, Netherlands.

India entered the crucial Pool E match needing a convincing victory to remain in contention for the last four. Instead, Argentina seized control early and held on despite a late Indian fightback.

Argentina Strike Early

Argentina put India under immediate pressure, scoring inside the opening minute through Joaquin Toscani. Nicolas Della Torre then doubled the advantage in the sixth minute through a penalty corner.

India responded through Sukhjeet Singh, who scored in the 10th minute to bring the deficit down to 1-2. But Argentina continued to create problems for the Indian defence.

Domene Extends Lead

Argentina strengthened its advantage after the interval. Tomas Domene scored twice, including a penalty-stroke conversion, to put India under severe pressure.

With Argentina leading 4-1, India needed a dramatic turnaround to keep its semi-final hopes alive. The result, however, remained firmly in Argentina’s favour for most of the contest.

Late Fightback Fails

India refused to surrender and produced a late attacking surge. Sukhjeet Singh scored his second goal of the match before Hardik Singh converted a penalty stroke.

Those goals reduced the gap to 3-5, but India could not find the further goals required to overturn the result. A late penalty-corner opportunity also failed to change the outcome.

Semifinal Dream Ends

The defeat officially ended India’s semi-final campaign. The team had already suffered a 1-3 defeat to the Netherlands, leaving its qualification hopes dependent on a strong result against Argentina and other results going its way.

India’s loss also means the country’s wait for another men’s Hockey World Cup podium finish continues. India last won the World Cup in 1975, when it defeated Pakistan in the final in Kuala Lumpur.

Seventh-Place Playoff Next

India will now compete in the seventh-eighth place classification match. According to current tournament information, the Indian team is scheduled to face Belgium on August 28.

The classification match will give the team an opportunity to finish the tournament on a positive note after missing out on the semi-finals.

Focus Shifts Ahead

The defeat will raise questions about India’s defensive performance and its inability to recover after conceding early goals.

The team will now turn its attention to the final classification match before shifting focus to upcoming international assignments. For Harmanpreet Singh and his teammates, the immediate objective will be to secure seventh place and close the World Cup campaign with a strong performance.