Netherlands reach World Cup semi-finals with 3-1 win over India in Amstelveen
Netherlands defeated India 3-1 at the Men’s Hockey World Cup in Amstelveen’s Wagener Stadion on Saturday (August 23, 2026), securing a place in the semifinals and leaving India on the brink of elimination.
The match was played in front of a packed Wagener Stadion. Needing a win to keep their tournament hopes alive, India produced what the report described as their best start of the four matches but were undone by recurring problems in field play that the coach, Craig Fulton, has had to contend with.
India began the game sharper on the ball, controlling possession and limiting the Netherlands’ flick-passing game, yet they struggled to create clear openings inside the circle. Dilpreet Singh came close when his deflected effort was cleared off the line by Derk Meijer.
After trading blows in the third quarter, the Dutch gained momentum and took the lead from a loose ball in the circle when Tijmen Rayenga’s shot-cum-pass was flicked in past Suraj Karkera by Duco Telgenkamp in the 40th minute.
The Netherlands then turned defence into attack, moving the ball in three passes before Tjep Hoedemakers deflected home from a fierce Koen Bijen slapshot into the circle to make it 2-0 in the 50th minute. India responded immediately: Harmanpreet Singh, playing with a back injury, found the left bottom corner from his side’s sixth and final penalty corner to reduce the deficit in the 51st minute.
With six minutes remaining, Manpreet Singh’s hesitation allowed Jorrit Croon to nick the ball and feed Thijs van Dam, who flicked the ball over Mohith H.S., controlled it on the run and slapped it into the net to seal the match for the Netherlands; the Dutch attack produced three field goals, two of them from counter-attacks.
The result: Netherlands 3 (Telgenkamp 40, Hoedemakers 50, van Dam 54) bt India 1 (Harmanpreet 51-pc). India sit last in the standings and now depend on the outcome of the England v Argentina match to determine whether they remain in contention.