India vs Belgium, Hockey World Cup 2026: Belgium win after dramatic shootout, India’s brave fight ends in hea

IND vs BEL Hockey Live Score: PENALTY SHOOTOUT India's Sukhjeet Singh stepped up next but suffered the same fate, with Vanasch making another save to leave India without a goal from their opening two attempts. Belgium, however, missed their second attempt as Foubert lifted his effort over the crossbar. The shootout remains finely poised, with Belgium holding a 1-0 advantage..IND vs BEL Hockey Live Score: First Penalty missed Harmanpreet Singh stepped up first for India but appeared to stop after expecting a whistle, unaware that play had already been allowed to continue. He was given another opportunity, but Belgium goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch stood firm to push his attempt away. Belgium then made no mistake with their first attempt. Alexander Hendrickx calmly converted to put Belgium ahead in the shootout..IND vs BEL Hockey Live Score: End of Q4 - It's shootout time! Harmanpreet Singh's equaliser in the 60th minute takes the contest into a penalty shootout against Belgium. What a finish to an incredible contest! After 60 minutes of end-to-end action, there is still nothing to separate the two sides. Now, it all comes down to the penalty shootout to decide the winner..India vs Belgium Hockey World Cup Live: 60' - GOAL! | IND 3-3 BEL India level it in the dying seconds! It’s 3-3! Harmanpreet Singh comes up with another crucial goal, scoring his second of the match to bring India level at 3-3. What a dramatic finish! His late equaliser could well have taken this contest into a penalty shootout..IND vs BEL Hockey Live Score: 58' - India looking for goal | IND 2-3 BEL India pull goalkeeper Suraj out for the final few minutes and go with 11 outfield players in a desperate search for the equaliser. It’s an all-out attacking approach now. Will India’s gamble pay off?.India vs Belgium Hockey World Cup Live: 55' - India need goal soon! | IND 2-3 BEL Despite taking the lead, Belgium continue to push for more, repeatedly attacking the Indian circle. India, meanwhile, need a goal soon to get back into the contest as the clock continues to tick away. In an unfortunate incident, Jarmanpreet Singh catches Labouchere in the face with his stick while challenging for the ball. There is no foul called, and the Belgian player heads off the turf for medical attention..IND vs BEL Hockey Live Score: 47' - GOAL | IND 2-3 BEL Belgium are back in front! Nicolas de Kerpel restores the hosts' lead with a powerful field goal, smashing the ball into the back of the net. The on-field umpire takes a referral to check whether the scorer's body had obstructed the ball during the move. After reviewing the footage, the video umpire finds no reason to overturn the original decision. The goal stands, and Belgium regain the lead!.India vs Belgium Hockey World Cup Live: 47' - Manpreet walks off! | IND 2-2 BEL That has got to hurt! Manpreet Singh takes a nasty blow to the face and immediately goes down in pain. It appears to have come from Labouchere’s shot. The India veteran is walking off with a cut above his left eye, as medics attend to him. Blood is visible on his head as he leaves the field for further medical assessment. The Belgian crowd responds with a huge round of applause as Manpreet makes his way off the turf. Meanwhile, the officials clean the blood from the surface with water before play resumes..IND vs BEL Hockey Live Score: End of Q3 | IND 2-2 BEL Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty corner early in the quarter to bring India level at 2-2. Belgium then continued to probe for a third goal, but India's defence stood firm and denied the hosts a breakthrough. India also created opportunities of their own through penalty corners and attacking moves in open play. Despite Belgium enjoying the greater share of possession and pressure, India held their ground to ensure the scores remained level at 2-2 heading into the final quarter..India vs Belgium Hockey World Cup Live: 43' - MISSED! | IND 2-2 BEL India earn a penalty corner on the counter and opt for a deceptive routine this time. The variation almost catches Belgium off guard, but the ball goes just wide of the goal. India come agonisingly close to taking the lead. Soon after, however, Harmanpreet Singh is shown a green card and will spend the next two minutes on the sidelines, leaving India a player short..IND vs BEL Hockey Live Score: 41' - Belgium continue to probe | IND 2-2 BEL Belgium continue to dominate proceedings, controlling the attacks and major statistics, but India remain firm after Harmanpreet Singh's equaliser. The hosts keep piling on the pressure, yet India's defence is holding its shape. With less than four minutes left in the third quarter, the scores remain locked at 2-2..India vs Belgium Hockey World Cup Live: 34' - No Goal | IND 2-2 BEL India win the review, goal ruled out! Belgium's drag-flick is deemed high and dangerous towards first rusher Amit Rohidas, denying the hosts a goal. Belgium had earn three quick penalty corners, but India's defence stands firm under pressure to keep the score level at 2-2..IND vs BEL Hockey Live Score: 31' - GOAL!!! | IND 2-2 BEL The goal stands! Belgium lose their review. Harmanpreet Singh brings India level soon after the restart with a superb drag-flick from the penalty corner. The ball flies cleanly into the goal, but Belgium immediately go upstairs, questioning whether Sukhjeet Singh had obstructed the first rusher’s view. The video review goes in India's favour. The goal stands, India retain their referral and the score is level at 2-2. Belgium captain Victor Wegnez is visibly miffed by the decision..India vs Belgium Hockey World Cup Live: HT - India trail Belgium 1-2 Belgium miss a chance in the dying seconds of the second quarter, but still head into the long break with a 2-1 lead over India. The hosts have completely turned the game around after trailing 0-1 at the end of the first quarter. Belgium struck twice in quick succession to change the complexion of the contest. Roman Duvekot first restored parity with a close-range finish after a deflection inside the Indian D. Just a minute later, Hugo Labouchere unleashed a powerful drag-flick from a penalty corner that gave Indian goalkeeper Mohith little chance. India now face a tough task after conceding twice in quick succession. Harmanpreet Singh and Co will need to come out with a significant change in approach after the break if they are to turn the game around..IND vs BEL Hockey Live Score: 27' - SAVE!!! | IND 1-2 BEL Belgium continue to threaten on the counter, and they nearly extend their lead. Stockbroekx unleashes a reverse hit, but Mohith is up to the task and makes a sharp save. Moments later, the hosts earn another penalty corner, but Mohith comes to India's rescue once again, keeping out the effort..India vs Belgium Hockey World Cup Live: 23' - Goal| IND 1-2 BEL Just a minute after finding the equaliser, world No. 2 Belgium have turned the game around and taken the lead against India. Hugo Labouchere unleashes a bullet of a drag-flick from the penalty corner, leaving Indian goalkeeper Mohith with little chance. Belgium have suddenly gone from 0-1 down to 2-1 up in a matter of minutes!.IND vs BEL Hockey Live Score: 22' - GOAL!!! | IND 1-1 BEL Belgium finally find the equaliser! Roman Duvekot taps home from close range after another well-worked Belgian attack. A pass is fizzed into the Indian D and takes a slight deflection, falling perfectly to Duvekot in front of goal. He keeps his composure to flick the ball past the onrushing Indian goalkeeper and send it into the backboard. 1-1 now!.India vs Belgium Hockey World Cup Live: 20' - No Goal| IND 1-0 BEL India earn their first penalty corner of the match after a successful video referral. Hardik Singh sends the ball towards Rajinder Singh, who goes down and appeals for a foul by Alexander Hendrickx. The video umpire takes a look, and the decision goes India's way. Harmanpreet Singh steps up for the drag-flick, but his effort is blocked. However, India earn another penalty corner from the rebound. Once again, the Belgian runner gets the better of Harmanpreet's effort, as India miss two back-to-back chances to double their lead..IND vs BEL Hockey Live Score: 17' - No goal | IND 1-0 BEL Harmanpreet Singh is back on the turf, restoring India to a full-strength 11. Almost immediately, Belgium find the back of the net, but the umpire rules out the goal..India vs Belgium Hockey World Cup Live: End of Q1 - India lead Belgium 1-0 After a sedate start, India broke the deadlock through Abhishek's field goal in the sixth minute. Belgium then took control of the proceedings, repeatedly attacking the Indian circle in search of an equaliser. The hosts earned four penalty corners but failed to convert any of them, with India's defence holding firm. India also had to cope with the temporary absence of captain Harmanpreet Singh, who was shown a yellow card and handed a five-minute suspension after India were found to have 12 players on the field instead of 11. Despite the pressure, India held on to their 1-0 lead at the end of the first quarter..IND vs BEL Hockey Live Score: 13' - Belgium wasted PCs | IND 1-0 BEL Belgium win a penalty corner after a successful video review. That converts into three back-to-back PCs for the hosts, but they fail to convert any of them as India's defence holds firm. India continue to lead 1-0..India vs Belgium Hockey World Cup Live: 11' - YELLOW CARD!!! IND 1-0 BEL Big confusion in the middle! The referee calls out India captain Harmanpreet Singh and shows him a yellow card, resulting in a five-minute suspension. India had 12 players on the field, leading to the decision. After some confusion, Harmanpreet eventually leaves the turf, leaving India a player short for the remainder of the quarter..IND vs BEL Hockey Live Score: 9' - Belgium on the attack! The Indian goal has sparked the contest into life. Belgium immediately push forward in search of an equaliser, earning a penalty corner soon after, but they fail to convert the opportunity. The last three to four minutes have been all about Belgium’s attacking pressure and India’s defence holding firm. India continue to lead 1-0..India vs Belgium Hockey World Cup Live: 6' - GOAL!!! India take the lead GOAL!!! India take an early lead. Abhishek puts India ahead with a field goal. Abhishek's delivery into the goal mouth from the left top of the D takes a crucial touch off Alexander Hendrickx and deflects into the Belgian goal. It is credited to Abhishek, who puts India ahead with a field goal..IND vs BEL Hockey Live Score: 3' - Slow start! Belgium with the push back to start the contest. Both teams look to make a positive start. However, neither side managed to create anything significant in the opening three minutes. .India vs Belgium Hockey World Cup Live: It's time!! India, in their saffron kits, and Belgium, sporting their navy blue, are out on the turf for the national anthems. First up, India's anthem followed by Belgium's. FIH President Tayyab Ikram presents umpire Tyler Klenk with a golden whistle to mark his 100th international match. India's Amit Rohidas also receives a special miniature hockey stick and a bouquet from Ikram as the defender prepares to make his 250th international appearance..IND vs BEL Hockey Live Score: HI announces 50 lakh cash award for women's team Hockey India has announced a cash award of Rs 50 lakh for the Indian women's team following their historic fifth-place finish at the FIH Hockey World Cup. Salima Tete's side secured the landmark result with a 3-1 victory over World No. 5 Germany in the fifth/sixth-place classification match in Amstelveen on Thursday. It was India's best World Cup finish since they placed fourth in the inaugural 1974 edition. The team suffered just one defeat, drawing against higher-ranked China, England and Australia and thrashing South Africa 6-1. Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey hailed the achievement as a testament to the team's resilience and fighting spirit..India vs Belgium Hockey World Cup Live: India's Starting XI .IND vs BEL Hockey Live Score: Seventh place and Asian Games ahead For India, today's contest is about more than simply finishing seventh in the tournament. The bronze medallists at the last two Olympics will soon shift their focus towards the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, where they will aim to win gold and secure a direct qualification berth for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. A strong performance against Belgium would therefore provide a timely confidence boost after a World Cup campaign that has fallen well below expectations. India will need to rediscover the intensity, defensive discipline and attacking variety that have been missing at crucial moments of the tournament. Belgium, meanwhile, will be equally determined to end their home World Cup on a positive note. The seventh/eighth-place classification match will begin at 9:45 pm IST..India vs Belgium Hockey World Cup Live: Fulton calls for disciplined display India coach Craig Fulton acknowledged the quality of the Belgian side while stressing the need for his players to produce a disciplined performance. "Belgium is a great team and one of the top three in the world. They too will not be happy with their performance in the tournament," Fulton said. "They have got a very specific way of playing and have key players to make that structure work. Their penalty corner attack and defence are excellent, and we will have to be very organized and good on the ball. We need to improve our defence and put that in as a platform and then we can go forward from there." Fulton also expects the atmosphere to add another dimension to the contest, comparing it with the passionate support India receives at home. "Playing against the hosts on their home ground is very exciting. It will be like playing against India in Rourkela or Bhubaneswar, and we are eager to play in this wonderful atmosphere," he said..IND vs BEL Hockey Live Score: Belgium have plenty of firepower Belgium will enter the classification match with considerable attacking quality and a recent head-to-head advantage over India. Tom Boon, who scored 19 goals in the Pro League this season, has already found the net five times at the World Cup. Penalty-corner specialist Alexander Hendrickx, meanwhile, scored 15 goals in the Pro League and gives Belgium another major threat from set pieces. The hosts have also beaten India twice in their recent Pro League meetings in Rourkela, winning 4-2 and 3-1 in February. Belgium had been among the pre-tournament favourites and were hoping to challenge for the title on home soil, but their own campaign has fallen short of expectations. After winning two and losing one match in the first leg, they drew against Australia and Spain in the second leg and missed out on the semi-finals..India vs Belgium Hockey World Cup Live: Defence remains India's biggest concern India started the tournament impressively, registering wins over Pakistan and Wales, but their momentum was checked by a 2-4 loss to England before Argentina inflicted another damaging defeat. Against Belgium, the Indian defence will have to improve considerably if they are to withstand the pressure generated by one of the world's strongest sides. The midfield will also need to close the gaps that have allowed opponents to create opportunities, while the attack must show greater variation. India have depended heavily on captain Harmanpreet Singh for penalty-corner goals, but they will need contributions from across the forward and midfield lines. Experienced campaigners Manpreet Singh and Hardik Singh could have a particularly important role in controlling possession, breaking Belgium's rhythm and creating chances for the forwards..IND vs BEL Hockey Live Score: Argentina defeat summed up India's campaign India's campaign has been defined by inconsistency, with the 3-5 defeat against Argentina in their final second-round match proving decisive. The result ended their hopes of reaching the semi-finals after India needed a convincing victory to remain in contention for a last-four spot. Instead, they conceded within the opening 39 seconds and struggled to recover as Argentina repeatedly exposed weaknesses in their defence. India have scored 14 goals and conceded 16 in the tournament, highlighting the difficulties they have faced at both ends of the pitch. Their inability to maintain intensity for the entire 60 minutes has been another concern. Even against Olympic champions Netherlands, India remained competitive for 40 minutes before conceding three goals in the final quarter to suffer a 1-3 defeat..India Vs Belgium Hockey World Cup Live: India eye confidence boost against Belgium After falling short of expectations at the FIH World Cup, India will look to salvage some pride and regain confidence when they face formidable co-hosts Belgium in the seventh/eighth-place classification match today. Harmanpreet Singh and his men entered the tournament with ambitions of ending India's 51-year wait for a World Cup podium finish, but those hopes were dashed after a disappointing second-round campaign. Belgium, ranked No. 2 in the world, will pose a formidable challenge, particularly with the home crowd behind them. Having played their pool and second-round matches in Amstelveen, India have now arrived at the venue where Belgium will enjoy the advantage of familiar conditions and vocal support.