Craig Fulton’s men needed a win at all costs to remain alive in the race to the semi-finals and although they found the back of the net thrice, the defensive lapses came back to haunt them against the Argentinians
Published: August 26, 2026, 3:50 PM IST
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File photo of the Indian team at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026(Credis: Hockey India/X)
The Indian men’s team will have a chance to conclude the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 on a high when they lock horns with co-hosts Belgium for the seventh/eighth place play-off match at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre later todayIndia’s campaign at the quadrennial competition ended after losing 5-3 against Argentina in their final outing.
Craig Fulton’s men needed a win at all costs to remain alive in the race to the semi-finals and although they found the back of the net thrice, the defensive lapses came back to haunt them against the Argentinians.
India were so poor defensively that the South Americans took the lead right in the first minute before doubling it six minutes later through a penalty cornerTomas Domene’s goals in the 33rd and 45th minute was followed by Lucas Toscani’s 53rd minute strike.
Of the five goals that India conceded, three came from open play while the other two were converted from penalty cornersSukhjeet Singh’s brace and Hardik Singh’s sole strike weren’t clearly enough.
India’s campaign was largely marred by the slow and rusty starts as well as their inability to remain consistent with their styleBefore losing to Argentina, India were thrashed 3-1 by co-hosts Netherlands, who exposed the gaps in between the defensive structure, which remained a key issue throughout the tournament.
It was first exposed by England, who scored four goals in their 4-2 win in the first roundIndia will return with only two wins against Wales (3-1) and Pakistan (5-3) along with many more lessons that will help them in their upcoming matches.
Perhaps what they learnt from those losses could be implemented today against Belgium, who had an impressive outing in the first round, winning twice and losing once but in the second round, the Belgians drew 1-1 each against Australia and Spain. They are also carrying a lot of disappointment with them and they, too, will be eager to finish the home World Cup on a high.
The Belgium vs India match will be a contest between two sides, who somehow have a similar style of play.
𝗟𝗘𝗧’𝗦 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗛 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗚🇮🇳🔥
The Indian Men’s Team heads into its last game of the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026, facing tournament’s co-hosts Belgium for the 7th/8th place in Wavre🏑
📺 Star Sports Select 2 (SD+HD) + Khel & JioHotstar + DD… pic.twitter.com/czEhvCicGq
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) August 26, 2026
When and where to watch India vs Belgium?
India will take on Belgium in the seventh/eighth place match at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre will take place on August 28 from 9;45PM (IST) onwardsThe match will be broadcasted live on the JioHotstar app/website as well as the Star Sports network.
