India and Pakistan renew their historic rivalry in a high-stakes Pool D encounter at the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 in Amstelveen on Wednesday.
The equation has become clearer for India after England defeated Wales 8-2 earlier in the day. With Wales eliminated from contention for the next round, India need just a draw against Pakistan to secure their place in the second stage.
Pakistan, however, have no such margin for error. The arch-rivals must win to keep their campaign alive and progress from Pool D.
India enter the contest with three points from two matches. They opened with a 3-1 win over Wales before suffering a 2-4 defeat against England despite taking a 2-1 lead into half-time.
Pakistan have collected one point from their opening two games and will need to produce a result against India in what promises to be a fiercely contested encounter.
India also carry a strong recent record against Pakistan, having remained unbeaten against their arch-rivals across competitions over the past decade.
The clash at the Wagener Hockey Stadium therefore carries enormous stakes, with India’s place in the second round and Pakistan’s World Cup hopes both on the line.
LIVE Updates:
