India to meet Belgium in seventh-place playoff at FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026

India will face Belgium in the seventh-eighth place playoff at the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 in the Netherlands on August 28 (Friday), with the match scheduled to start at 9:45 pm IST.

India’s campaign ended after defeats to the Netherlands and Argentina in the second round. The Netherlands beat India 3-1 in Amstelveen after India had held parity at half-time but conceded two goals in the final quarter, and Argentina then defeated India 5-3, eliminating their semi-final hopes.

After the second round India were the only side yet to open their points account, finishing bottom of Pool E with 0 points after failing to win a single match. The Harmanpreet Singh-led side will aim for a consolation placing in the final classification match.

Belgium finished bottom of Pool F in the second round and also failed to record a win in that pool. Belgium, champions in 2018, did collect points from draws against Spain and Australia, but their carried-over 0-1 defeat to Germany from the first round undermined their campaign; a 1-1 draw with Spain in their final Pool F fixture confirmed their elimination.

The head-to-head record between India and Belgium at World Cups stands at 2-1 in India’s favour, while in all competitions India have beaten Belgium only once in their last five meetings. That statistical context frames the seventh-place clash as a match between two sides seeking an upward finish.

Chief Coach Craig Fulton shared his thoughts after India’s Pool E loss to Argentina, and the tournament's official social post noted: “India lost 3-5 in their concluding Pool E match. #HockeyIndia #IndiaKaGame #HWC2026 #INDvsARG.”

India will play Belgium in the seventh-eighth place playoff on August 28 (Friday) at 9:45 pm IST, when both teams will contest final tournament positions rather than progression to the knockout rounds.