NEW DELHI: The India-Pakistan rivalry returns to the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup stage on Wednesday with far more than bragging rights at stake. India need at least a draw to secure a place in the second round, while Pakistan must win the Pool D contest at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen to keep their campaign alive.India have three points from two matches after opening their campaign with a 3-1 win over Wales before suffering a 2-4 defeat against England. Pakistan, meanwhile, have one point after losing 1-4 to England and drawing 3-3 with Wales. England have already qualified for the next round after winning both their matches.The high-pressure contest will also revive one of hockey’s most storied rivalries at a venue steeped in its history.
India hold the recent edge
India will start as favourites given their recent dominance over Pakistan. They defeated their neighbours 7-1 and 4-3 during the European leg of the Pro League earlier this year, while Pakistan’s last win over India came in the 2016 Champions Trophy.India have also won medals at the last two Olympics, while four-time World Cup champions Pakistan are returning to the tournament after an eight-year absence, having failed to qualify for the 2014 and 2023 editions.The last World Cup meeting between the two sides came in Delhi in 2010, when India won 4-1. Pakistan subsequently missed the 2014 and 2023 editions and did not face India in the 2018 tournament.However, India’s recent superiority will count for little once the two teams take the field. Pakistan have enough quality, particularly through their drag-flickers, to make the contest uncomfortable for India.India’s most experienced player, Manpreet Singh, warned against complacency.“The match against Pakistan will be good, but we are not underestimating them. They also have good drag-flickers, so we will have to avoid giving them penalty corners. We must also create opportunities and capitalise on them. We must focus on our natural game,” Manpreet said.India will also be looking for a significant improvement in penalty-corner conversion after managing just one goal from four opportunities against England.
Pakistan have everything to play for
Pakistan’s campaign has been uneven so far. They struggled against England before recovering to earn a 3-3 draw against Wales, but their defensive organisation and penalty-corner execution remain areas of concern.Their preparations have also been far from ideal. Against England, their penalty-corner protection equipment was left in the dressing room, while they missed several opportunities against Wales before settling for a draw.Pakistan captain Abu Bakar Mahmood believes the occasion will be decided on the day rather than by past records.“Rankings or past performance don’t matter in a match between India and Pakistan. The team that plays well on match day will win, and we know how important this match is for our hockey, so we will leave no stone unturned,” he said.For India, the equation is straightforward: avoid defeat and they progress. A win would guarantee second place in the pool. For Pakistan, anything less than three points will end their World Cup campaign.
A historic venue for a historic rivalry
The Wagener Stadium adds another layer to Wednesday’s contest. The venue hosted one of the most memorable India-Pakistan World Cup matches 53 years ago, when India edged Pakistan 1-0 in the 1973 semi-final.On August 31, 1973, BP Govinda scored the decisive goal in the 62nd minute to send India into the final. The final was also played at the Wagener Stadium, with hosts Netherlands eventually beating India on penalty strokes after the match ended 2-2 following extra time.Former India captain MP Ganesh, who was part of that side, still remembers the intensity of that semi-final.“It was one of the fittest Indian teams playing abroad. We outplayed Pakistan, but we could have scored more goals. Surjit was in top form and scored nine goals in the tournament,” Ganesh recalled.“That was the best India-Pakistan match in the World Cup. The semifinal was like a war of skills. Those days every match we played against each other was like an on-field war,” he said.“The bitterness of the 1971 war was still afresh. We were enemies at the border and on the ground too, of course within the rules and regulations.”Ganesh also recalled the intensity away from the field.“We weren’t used to wishing each other. I remember in the 1971 World Cup, during the march past, we were standing next to each other but didn’t see each other,” he said.
Wagener Stadium sold out
The historic venue is set for another packed house, with the 10,000-capacity Wagener Stadium sold out for Wednesday’s blockbuster.The contest has generated considerable interest among Indian and Pakistani communities in the Netherlands, with tickets sold online in phases since September 2025.“Tickets were sold online from September 2025. We have sold them in phases, with the first phase in September and the next one in March this year,” Tamara Bouwmans, communication officer of the Royal Dutch Hockey Association (KNHB), told PTI.Tickets ranged from 35 euros for a South Stand ticket for non-Dutch matches to 57 euros for a covered Main Stand day ticket. Hospitality tickets were priced at 251.34 euros.For Indian-origin residents, the demand has been particularly strong.
