2 weeks ago
India Aim to End 32-Year World Cup Jinx Against England
India and England are playing a very important hockey match at the Hockey World Cup.
Both teams already won their first game — India beat Wales 3-1 and England beat Pakistan 4-1.
This match matters because only the top two teams in their group move on to the next round.
India really wants to win because it has not beaten England at the World Cup for 32 years.
The last time India beat England at the World Cup was in 1994 in Sydney.
India's captain, Harmanpreet Singh, scored two goals from penalty corners in the first game, and Sanjay scored once.
But India's other forwards found it hard to score from open play, so the team relied on set pieces.
England is a strong team that finished second in the recent Pro League competition.
A win for India would put them in a strong position to go far in the tournament.
Everyone is excited to see if India can finally break its long losing streak.
India face world No. 3 England in a crucial FIH Men's Hockey World Cup Pool D match on Monday, aiming to end a 32-year winless run against England in the tournament.
Both teams won their opening matches, with India beating Wales 3-1 and England defeating Pakistan 4-1.
Under the new World Cup format, the top two teams from each pool advance to the second stage as Pools E and F, with first-round results carried forward.
India's forwards, especially Abhishek and Sukhjeet, created chances but failed to finish from open play against Wales, leaving the team reliant on set pieces.
England lost only two of their 16 matches in the 2025-26 Pro League and finished runners-up behind Belgium, while India finished eighth among nine teams.
- Who
- India, captained by Harmanpreet Singh, and world No. 3 England, both targeting a top-two finish in Pool D of the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup.
- What
- A crucial Pool D match in the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup in which first-round results are carried forward into the second stage.
- Where
- Amstelveen, Netherlands.
- When
- Monday, August 17, 2026.
- Why
- India aim to end a 32-year World Cup winless streak against England and strengthen their route to the knockout stages.
Key facts
- Tournament
- FIH Men's Hockey World Cup
- Match
- India vs England, Pool D
- Date
- Monday, August 17, 2026
- Venue
- Amstelveen, Netherlands
- India's opening result
- 3-1 win over Wales
- England's opening result
- 4-1 win over Pakistan
- India's last World Cup win over England
- 1994, Sydney (fifth-sixth-place match)
- 2025-26 Pro League finish
- England runners-up behind Belgium; India eighth of nine teams
Quotes
Harmanpreet Singh
India men's hockey captain
“"There are ups and downs in the game, but our focus is currently on the World Cup. We have come well prepared and the team is in form. We will focus on taking it match by match and creating as many scoring opportunities as possible,"”
rediff.com
deccanchronicle.com
theprint.in
“Asked about India's Pro League struggles, Harmanpreet had said the team was focused on the World Cup.”
rediff.com
Sources
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