By Urdu Report Editorial Team
AMSTERDAM: Argentina defeated India 5-3 in a crucial Hockey World Cup 2026 match, ending India’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
In the important Pool A second-round encounter, Argentina put the Indian defence under pressure from the opening whistle and quickly established a two-goal lead. India attempted to fight back, but Argentina maintained control with a strong performance.
Joaquin Toscani opened the scoring for Argentina in the first minute of the match, while Nicolas Della Torre doubled the lead in the sixth minute through a penalty corner.
India reduced the deficit in the 10th minute when Sukhjeet Singh found the net. However, Tomas Domene scored twice in the 33rd and 45th minutes to extend Argentina’s advantage to 4-1.
Argentina added a fifth goal in the 53rd minute through Lucas Toscani. India mounted a late comeback, with Sukhjeet Singh scoring his second goal in the 58th minute and Hardik Singh converting a penalty stroke in the final minute to make it 3-5.
Despite the late fightback, India could not complete the comeback.
India Out of Semi-Final Race
The defeat ended India’s hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals of the 2026 Hockey World Cup. India missed the opportunity to secure a place in the next stage after failing to defeat Argentina in their final Pool A match.
India’s tournament campaign, however, was not completely over, as the team was still scheduled to play for seventh or eighth place.
Pakistan Also Out of World Cup Race
The Pakistan hockey team had also already been eliminated from the race for the next stage of the World Cup. India had earlier defeated Pakistan 5-3 to qualify for the next round, while the defeat brought Pakistan’s World Cup campaign to an end at the earlier stage.
As a result, both traditional rivals, Pakistan and India, failed to reach the semi-final stage of the tournament.
