India produced a dominant performance to defeat arch-rivals Pakistan 5-3 in a high-voltage Pool D clash at the 2026 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup in Amstelveen, Netherlands. The victory secured India’s place in the second round, while Pakistan were eliminated from the tournament.

The two sides met at the World Cup for the first time in 16 years. Their previous World Cup encounter came in Delhi in 2010, when India registered a 4-1 victory. India once again maintained the upper hand in the latest encounter.

India started aggressively and took the lead in the fifth minute through captain Harmanpreet Singh. Abhishek then doubled the advantage in the 11th minute, putting India 2-0 ahead.

Pakistan fought back in the second quarter, with Hannan Shahid scoring in the 22nd minute and Sufyan Khan finding the net in the 24th minute. However, India continued to attack, with Harmanpreet scoring his second goal in the 21st minute and Abhishek adding another in the 24th minute. India went into the interval with a 4-2 lead.

Hardik Singh extended India’s advantage in the 35th minute, making it 5-2. Pakistan reduced the deficit through Hannan Shahid’s second goal in the 46th minute, but India’s defence held firm during the final stages to secure a 5-3 victory.

Harmanpreet Singh and Abhishek were the stars for India, scoring two goals each, while Hardik Singh contributed the fifth goal. For Pakistan, Hannan Shahid scored twice and Sufyan Khan added one.

With the win, India finished second in Pool D and advanced to the second round. Pakistan, meanwhile, ended their World Cup campaign after failing to register a win in three matches.

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