India’s hopes of reaching the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 semifinals have taken a major blow following their defeat to the Netherlands. However, Argentina’s 3-1 win over England has kept India mathematically in the race and given them a narrow chance of making the last four.&nbsp;India now have a clear but difficult task, as they must beat Argentina and then hope the Netherlands defeat England by a big enough margin.<h3>What India need against Argentina</h3>India must beat Argentina by at least two goals in their final Pool E match on Monday.A two-goal win would take India to three points and put them above Argentina, depending on the goal-difference and goals-scored calculations. A win by more than two goals would give India a better goal-difference advantage.&nbsp;The challenge will be huge, as Argentina have already beaten India twice in the FIH Pro League this year, winning 8-0 and 4-2.&nbsp;So, India need more than just a win. They need a convincing victory to keep their semifinal hopes alive.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wtc-2025-27-updated-standings-after-australia-s-51-run-victory-over-bangladesh-1787480053246">WTC 2025-27 updated standings after Australia’s dominant victory over Bangladesh</a><h3>Why India need Netherlands to help</h3>Even a win over Argentina will not guarantee India a semifinal place, as their qualification will also depend on the Netherlands vs England match.&nbsp;The Netherlands currently lead Pool E with six points and a +4 goal difference. England and Argentina have three points each, with a goal difference of zero. India have no points and a -4 goal difference after scoring three goals and conceding seven.&nbsp;The best scenario for India would be a two-goal win over Argentina followed by a three-goal victory for the Netherlands against England.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bwf-world-championships-french-pair-gicquel-and-delrue-crowned-world-champions-in-mixed-doubles-1787478941139">BWF World Championships: French pair Gicquel and Delrue crowned world champions</a>&nbsp;For example, if India beat Argentina 3-1 and the Netherlands beat England 3-0, India would move above England on goal difference and knock Argentina out. The Netherlands would finish top with nine points, while India would take second place.&nbsp;However, some results could lead to further tie-break calculations. If India win 3-1 and England lose 1-3, both teams would have the same goals scored and conceded. In that case, the field-goal tie-break could decide the second spot.&nbsp;India currently have one field goal in the pool, scored by Dilpreet Singh against England, while England have three.&nbsp;There is also an interesting twist to Monday’s schedule, as India will face Argentina at 6:30pm IST, while England will play against the Netherlands at 10:30pm IST.&nbsp;This means England will know exactly what they need from their match against the Netherlands based on the result of India’s game earlier in the evening.

India’s 1-3 defeat to the Netherlands left their semifinal hopes hanging by a thread, but Argentina’s win over England on Saturday kept their campaign mathematically alive.

India’s hopes of reaching the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 semifinals have taken a major blow following their defeat to the Netherlands. However, Argentina’s 3-1 win over England has kept India mathematically in the race and given them a narrow chance of making the last four. India now have a clear but difficult task, as they must beat Argentina and then hope the Netherlands defeat England by a big enough margin. What India need against Argentina India must beat Argentina by at least two goals in their final Pool E match on Monday. A two-goal win would take India to three points and put them above Argentina, depending on the goal-difference and goals-scored calculations. A win by more than two goals would give India a better goal-difference advantage. The challenge will be huge, as Argentina have already beaten India twice in the FIH Pro League this year, winning 8-0 and 4-2. So, India need more than just a win. They need a convincing victory to keep their semifinal hopes alive. Also Read - WTC 2025-27 updated standings after Australia’s dominant victory over Bangladesh Why India need Netherlands to help Even a win over Argentina will not guarantee India a semifinal place, as their qualification will also depend on the Netherlands vs England match. The Netherlands currently lead Pool E with six points and a +4 goal difference. England and Argentina have three points each, with a goal difference of zero. India have no points and a -4 goal difference after scoring three goals and conceding seven. The best scenario for India would be a two-goal win over Argentina followed by a three-goal victory for the Netherlands against England. Also Read - BWF World Championships: French pair Gicquel and Delrue crowned world champions For example, if India beat Argentina 3-1 and the Netherlands beat England 3-0, India would move above England on goal difference and knock Argentina out. The Netherlands would finish top with nine points, while India would take second place. However, some results could lead to further tie-break calculations. If India win 3-1 and England lose 1-3, both teams would have the same goals scored and conceded. In that case, the field-goal tie-break could decide the second spot. India currently have one field goal in the pool, scored by Dilpreet Singh against England, while England have three. There is also an interesting twist to Monday’s schedule, as India will face Argentina at 6:30pm IST, while England will play against the Netherlands at 10:30pm IST. This means England will know exactly what they need from their match against the Netherlands based on the result of India’s game earlier in the evening.

India’s 1-3 defeat to the Netherlands left their semifinal hopes hanging by a thread, but Argentina’s win over England on Saturday kept their campaign mathematically alive.

Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026: How can India reach semifinals after 1-3 loss to Netherlands?

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Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026: How can India reach semifinals after 1-3 loss to Netherlands?