Indian hockey team eliminated from World Cup by Argentina

India's 51-year wait for a podium finish at the Men's Hockey World Cup continues, as the Harmanpreet Singh-led team crashed out of the 2026 edition following a devastating 3-5 defeat to Argentina.

Needing a victory by at least a two-goal margin to keep their semi-final hopes alive, the Indian side was entirely outclassed in Amstelveen, marking a bitter end to their campaign. Historically, despite their eight Olympic gold medals, India has struggled to replicate that dominance on the World Cup stage, with their sole victory coming way back in 1975.

Argentina Strikes Early

The South Americans exploited India's defensive frailties right from the whistle. Joaquin Toscani shocked the Indian camp by converting a field goal in the very first minute. Before India could regroup, Nicolas della Torre doubled Argentina's advantage in the sixth minute with a powerful penalty corner execution. Sukhjeet Singh offered a glimmer of hope for the Indian squad, pulling one back with a well-placed field goal in the 10th minute.

Despite flashes of valiant effort and multiple squandered penalty corners, India failed to contain the Argentine attack in the second half. Tomas Domene took control, finding the target in the 33rd minute and then converting a penalty stroke in the 45th minute, pushing the scoreline to a daunting 4-1. Lucas Toscani further compounded India's misery, securing Argentina's fifth goal in the 53rd minute.

Facing an insurmountable deficit, India managed a late surge. Sukhjeet Singh netted his second goal of the match in the 58th minute, followed rapidly by a penalty stroke conversion from Hardik Singh a minute later. However, these late strikes served merely as consolations. The overall disjointed display and midfield turnovers sealed India's fate, forcing them out of the tournament and into a seventh-place playoff against Belgium.

With Inputs from Agency Threads and Image Courtesy: ANI