India Loses 4-3 to Belgium in Shootout

India finished eighth at the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2026 after losing to co-hosts Belgium 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a 3-3 draw in regulation time. The match, played at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre, saw India make a bright start with Abhishek Nain scoring in the opening quarter.

However, Belgium responded strongly, with Roman Duvekot and Hugo Labouchere finding the net to help the hosts take a 2-1 lead. Harmanpreet Singh then spearheaded India's fightback, scoring in the 31st minute to level the scores at 2-2.

Nicolas De Kerpel regained the lead for Belgium in the 47th minute, but Harmanpreet came to India's rescue once again with a late penalty-corner equaliser, making it 3-3 and forcing the match into a shootout.

Indian goalkeeper Suraj Karkera played a key role in keeping India in the game, making several important saves against Belgium's penalty-corner attacks.

In the shootout, Belgium's experienced goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch became the difference-maker, saving Harmanpreet's attempt and also stopping other Indian players.

The classification match saw both teams play attacking hockey as they looked to end their World Cup campaigns on a positive note after missing out on the medal rounds.

Amit Rohidas reached a special landmark of 250 senior international appearances for India in the game against Belgium.

The loss marked the end of India's campaign in the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2026, with the team finishing eighth overall.

India's head coach Craig Fulton reflected on his side's performance, saying that it was a game of two halves and that Belgium was definitely the better team in the first half.

The match was a thrilling encounter, with both teams giving it their all until the final hooter.

In the end, Belgium's experience and home crowd support proved to be the deciding factor, as they stumbled across the line to win the match.

The result was a disappointing end to India's campaign, but the team can take heart from their performance and look to build on it for future tournaments.

The FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2026 has been a thrilling tournament, with many exciting matches and surprising results.

India's finish of eighth place is a respectable outcome, but the team will be looking to improve their performance in future tournaments.

The experience gained by the Indian team in this tournament will be invaluable, and they will be looking to use it to their advantage in upcoming matches.

The Indian hockey team has a lot of potential and talent, and with the right training and preparation, they can achieve great things in the future.

The loss to Belgium was a tough pill to swallow, but the team will be looking to bounce back and come back stronger in their next tournament.