India finished last in Pool E and missed out on the World Cup semifinals following a 5-3 loss to Argentina at the Wagener Stadion.
India’s Hockey World Cup campaign came to an end at the Wagener Stadion following a sloppy 5-3 defeat against a ruthless Argentina team. The loss marked India's third defeat in five games in the 2026 tournament, leaving the former champions bottom of Pool E and condemned to a seventh-place classification match against Belgium.
Craig Fulton's side suffered a dreadful opening, conceding just 40 seconds into the match when a failed clearance allowed an unmarked Joaquin Toscani to score for Argentina. Four minutes later, defender Yashdeep Siwach conceded a penalty corner that Nicolas Della Torre pushed low and hard into the net to make it 2-0.
Sukhjeet Singh offered India a lifeline in the ninth minute with a backhand finish, but defensive errors continued to undermine the team. In the 32nd minute, Tomas Domene struck a fierce reverse-hit past Mohith H.S. Twelve minutes later, Yashdeep had a backpass intercepted inside the 25-yard line, leading to a shot that struck his foot; Domene converted the resulting penalty stroke to extend Argentina's lead to 4-1.
Lucas Toscani added Argentina's fifth from a tight angle in the 52nd minute while facing little pressure from Sanjay Rana. India mounted a late resurgence with Sukhjeet deflecting in a slapshot from Mandeep Singh in the 57th minute, followed by a 60th-minute penalty stroke converted by Hardik Singh, but the comeback fell short.
India let in 16 goals over the course of the tournament, the most the side has conceded since the 2010 edition. Following a 2-2 draw between England and the Netherlands later in the day, Argentina advanced to the semifinals to face Germany, while the Dutch will play Spain.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Hockey. Photo courtesy The Hindu Hockey.