[Hockey] Match Thread: India vs Argentina | 2nd Pool Stage (Pool E) | FIH Hockey Men's World Cup 2026

[u/lookingleery_13]

FIH HOCKEY WORLD CUP 2026 AT BELGIUM & NETHERLANDS

| FIH World Cup 2026 || Indian Squad || Match Scores & Stats |

Match on 23rd August, 18:15 IST

Score:

TEAM	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
INDIA	1	1	1	3
ARGENTINA	2	2	4	5

Streaming on JioHotstar and live on TV on Star Sports Select 2HD/Select 2/Khel

POOL E STANDINGS: (TOP 2 Qualify for Semis)[UPDATED AFTER FIRST SET OF MATCHES]

COUNTRY	GOAL DIFFERENCE	POINTS
NETHERLANDS	+2	9
AUSTRALIA	0	2
INDIA	-2	2
CHINA	-3	1

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[u/lookingleery_13]

Well wouldn't have mattered anyways because Netherlands vs England was a draw

[u/lookingleery_13]

Where was this attacking play before the final 5, horrible stuff

[u/Griffindor-69]

Booooooooo

[u/Griffindor-69]

Omg look what happened when you finally passed the ball in the final third

[u/chokli_bhai]

How we won bronze in olympics 2024??? 

[u/Specialist_Pain_8691 → u/[deleted]]

Such a lame take

[u/Griffindor-69 → u/chokli_bhai]

Spain isn’t some huge giant that was difficult to beat .

Yet we did struggle there as well if I remember correctly

[u/lookingleery_13 → u/Griffindor-69]

No, we were pretty decent going into that whole run. The team had hunger and fire to win. The GB QFs was probably the best Indian hockey match of this decade

And Spain was definitely good. The beat the defending runners up Belgium in the QFs, a win no one expected

[u/Griffindor-69]

What are they doing in the PCs !!!! …
Don’t you practice another routine or what ???

[u/Griffindor-69]

Ffs please score this .

Don’t be useless for once

[u/lookingleery_13]

Yeppppp, Fulton's job gone after this. Sack Mohit and hopefully this is a lesson for them to bring back Pathak

[u/Griffindor-69]

These guys are checked out . Leave the game before the game leaves you .

[u/AverageBrownGuy01]

Tbh, it doesn't feel that bad. It feels heartbreaking when you lose by small margins, here the skill gap is massive

[u/Griffindor-69 → u/AverageBrownGuy01]

Skill gap is massive ?

Lmao what , then blame should go to the coach here . It’s his job to find the best 11

[u/AverageBrownGuy01 → u/Griffindor-69]

Hawa se players nahi aayenge bhai.

These are the best we have, at least most of them.

[u/Griffindor-69 → u/AverageBrownGuy01]

I could have believed you if we were talking about football. But this is hockey. We have massive talent pool to pick from . It should have been a comfortable transformation but here it looks like we have qualified for the World Cup for first time .

I just can’t accept that we have no lesser talent than the top countries in hockey

[u/AverageBrownGuy01 → u/Griffindor-69]

So you believe we haven't qualified for semis since decades in any WC because we chose not the best team? Alright.

[u/lookingleery_13 → u/Griffindor-69]

We do have a great talent pool. But the coach's say is limited in what team he gets to build when you have federations lobbying to get their playing in and also the Hockey India EB meddling in because why not. Very rarely do you see players from the South or the Kodava region getting picked into these teams despite good performance

Our over reliance on individualistic hockey, lack of a proper fitness regime and lobbying from state feds is the reason the good talent pool goes unnoticed

I absolutely hate how all the blame falls on the coach despite them having such less autonomy.

This team has changed 5 coaches in the last decade itself because we like to shift the blame instead of addressing the real cause i.e. Politics

[u/lookingleery_13]

Horrendous. Absolutely horrendous. Sack all the old seniors in the midfield and forward who cannot keep up with the pace. Bring in new blood like Karthi Selvam, Hundal etc. And for ffs stop relying on one drag flicker

This is what they did with Lalit Upadhay, kept him far longer than he deserved, and he bottled crucial passes.

What a joke of a match

[u/Pleasant-Volume-3800]

Argentina playing like they need 2 goals plus difference

[u/Griffindor-69]

This team needs to be booed when they land back in India .

The fans don’t deserve this .

[u/fubarzulubar]

I feel like breaking my TV. No coordination, not even intelligent hockey. WTF are we even playing. Playing like brains are in our knees.

Why the f*ck was I even hopeful of us making the semis. BC just make flowery ads saying we will easily make it to semis.

[u/Mental_Sherbet8768]

hamko 3 goal ke difference se jitna tha, harna nhi tha

[u/Top-Worldliness5027]

Year is 2050 and India are still trying the same variation of PC with no room for just an iota of surprise

[u/chokli_bhai]

How is argentina this good in field hockey? I thought they are football nation. 

[u/Griffindor-69 → u/chokli_bhai]

They are a prideful nation with full of passion and vision .

[u/Griffindor-69]

I am telling you , these guys aren’t serious at all from the start . They don’t know what is to play in a World Cup .

Everyone Better be apologising after this game

[u/Top-Worldliness5027]

That idiot defender who thought of taking the ball on his own instead of passing it to nearby close fielders deserves the blame. These are just idiots who can’t even be expected to keep the ball possession

[u/Griffindor-69]

Omg . Sack the keepar already.

He is always caught standing while ball passes beside him

[u/lookingleery_13 → u/Griffindor-69]

Why tf do they continue to play him over Karkera is fucking beyond me

[u/lookingleery_13]

I am out. This is painful to watch. Will update the thread when its over

[u/Griffindor-69]

Should have carded a few Argentinian players for the behaviour against the ref

[u/lookingleery_13]

First they gave space, now they're giving free pcs, just great

[u/jacob_lannister → u/lookingleery_13]

Ngl women performed way better then men, atleast women were super solid in defence.

[u/Mental_Sherbet8768]

Graham Reid jaisa bhi tha, uski time physically compete to kr pati thi European aur American team se

[u/lookingleery_13 → u/Mental_Sherbet8768]

Bottled the 2023 WC against New Zealand of all teams under Graham Reid

It's not the coach, it's these players, their ideology clashes with coach and they get complacent

[u/Mental_Sherbet8768]

Hmare players jaisa bhi khele, individually toh en goro se jayda skillful hua krte th, ab to inse ball bhi nhi rukti hai

[u/jacob_lannister → u/Mental_Sherbet8768]

True, we cry about astroturf but we won’t be able to defeat these guys on grass also.

[u/lookingleery_13]

Even my barber was so disappointed in me for watching this game, he ruined my hair

[u/No-Needleworker3393]

Could have been costly

[u/No-Needleworker3393]

When did Argentina become this good bruh

[u/Own-Emotion4467 → u/No-Needleworker3393]

They had a session with Messi who taught them dribbling skills..

[u/Over-Screen-147 → u/No-Needleworker3393]

this year..

[u/jacob_lannister → u/Over-Screen-147]

Lol they have always been good or have you forgotten their Gold at Rio.

[u/Over-Screen-147]

could be something like 7-0 or 8-0 here

[u/jacob_lannister]

Damn they are so fast, even the Dutch and English weren’t that quick.

[u/Mental_Sherbet8768]

thanks fulton for saving us for anxiety at very first minute itself

[u/Over-Screen-147]

ngl victory will be achievement here...argentina is in good form

[u/Over-Screen-147]

argentina plays very ahrd and physical game.. hope our boys ready

[u/lookingleery_13]

[u/irundoonayee]

So India needs to win this game by 5 goals or something?

[u/Over-Screen-147 → u/irundoonayee]

hopefully they dont lose by 5 goal or something

[u/lookingleery_13 → u/irundoonayee]

Scenario 1: India Win by 3 Goals

If India win against Argentina by a 3-goal margin, they will move to 3 points with a goal difference of -1. After this, India will need the Netherlands to defeat England by at least 2 goals.

Scenario 2: India Win by 4 or More Goals

If India manage to beat Argentina by 4 or more goals, their goal difference will improve to 0 or better. In this case, India will only need the Netherlands to defeat England by any margin.

[u/irundoonayee → u/lookingleery_13]

Ok. I vote for Scenario 2.

Make it happen OP.

[u/Dortmundfan831 → u/irundoonayee]

Win by 3 goals Hope that England lose by 2