Hockey World Cup 2026: When will India play their classification matches | Other Sports News

India’s bid to reach the semifinals of the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 came to an end on Monday after Harmanpreet Singh-led India’s men’s team was eliminated from the final-four race after going down 3-5 against Argentina in their last Pool E match at Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen.

Earlier, on Sunday, Salima Tete-led India’s women’s team played a 0-0 draw against Australia in their last game in the second phase, which also brought curtains to their semifinal hopes despite losing just one game across two phases of the competition.

India’s wait for a Hockey World Cup medal has now extended even further, as the last time India won a medal was back in 1975, when India’s men’s team won their first and only World Cup gold medal.

Both the men’s and women’s teams will now play classification matches to find out their final standings in the 16-team tournament.

Who will India play in the classification matches?

India’s men’s team qualified for Phase 2 with 0 carryover points as they closed their Phase 1 campaign against fellow Pool D qualifier England. They went on to lose 1-3 against the Netherlands and 3-5 against Argentina in the second phase, finishing at the bottom of the Pool E table, forcing them to play the 7th/8th-place classification match against Belgium, who finished at the bottom of the Pool F points table.

On the other hand, India’s women’s team had a better result in Phase 1 as they remained unbeaten and played a draw against fellow Pool D qualifier China to walk into the second phase with 1 carryover point.

In the second phase, the Salima Tete-led side lost their first game against the Netherlands 0-2 before playing a 0-0 draw against Australia. While the Netherlands, with 9 points, qualified for the semifinals as the top team in Pool E, India, Australia and China were tied on 2 points each.

When will India’s classification matches take place?

India’s women’s team will be first in action, with their 5th/6th-place classification match against Germany on Thursday, August 27, at Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, while India’s men’s team will take on Belgium in the 7th/8th-place classification match on Friday, August 28, at Belfius Stadium in Belgium.

Hockey World Cup 2026: Full schedule of classification matches

Men’s category:

Women’s category: