India vs Pakistan Hockey World Cup 2026: What Happens If India Lose?

India's final Pool D match against Pakistan at the 2026 Hockey World Cup has become a crucial fixture for Harmanpreet Singh and his team. After two matches, India have three points and need a positive result against their arch-rivals to keep their hopes of reaching the next phase alive.

India began their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Wales before suffering a 2-4 defeat to England. The loss to England has put additional pressure on the Indian team ahead of the Pakistan clash.

The 2026 Men's Hockey World Cup features 16 teams divided into four pools. The top two teams from each pool advance to the second phase, while the remaining teams enter classification matches.

What happens if India beat Pakistan?

A victory over Pakistan would take India to six points and secure their place in the next phase.

Winning the match would also remove the need for India to depend on the result of the England-Wales fixture. India would finish among the top two teams in Pool D.

What happens if India draw with Pakistan?

A draw would take India to four points from three matches.

In that situation, India's qualification would depend on the result of the England-Wales match. If England beat Wales, India would finish second in the pool and progress to the next phase.

If Wales defeat England, both India and Wales would finish on four points. The second position would then be determined by the applicable goal-difference criteria.

What happens if India lose to Pakistan?

A defeat against Pakistan would leave India on three points, while Pakistan would move to four points.

Under the current qualification scenario, India would then fail to finish among the top two teams in Pool D and would miss out on the next phase. The England-Wales result would no longer change India's qualification position.

India would instead have to play classification matches for the lower positions in the tournament.

The Pakistan match is therefore effectively a must-not-lose game for India. A victory would guarantee progression, while a draw would keep their hopes alive depending on the other Pool D result. A defeat would end their chances of advancing to the next phase.