The 32-year wait for a World Cup win over their European rivals adds an extra edge to the crucial Pool D clash. Amstelveen, India will face their toughest challenge in the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup pool stage when they take on world-ranked England on Monday.
They lost only two of their 16 matches in the 2025-26 Pro League and finished runners-up behind Belgium, while India finished eighth among nine teams. England have been among the consistent contenders at the World Cup, reaching at least the final five in each of the last five editions since 2006.
Asked about India’s Pro League struggles, Harmanpreet had said the team was focused on the World Cup. We will focus on taking it match by match and creating as many scoring opportunities as possible,” he said. India will also look to improve on an otherwise satisfactory opening performance against Wales. The forward line, especially Abhishek and Sukhjeet, created chances but could not finish from open play, leaving the team heavily reliant on set pieces. India started well against Wales, scoring two goals in the first quarter itself, but after that, there was a visible drop in intensity, which could prove costly in the matches ahead. England, however, come into the tournament with strong recent form. “There are ups and downs in the game, but our focus is currently on the World Cup. We have come well prepared and the team is in form. For Harmanpreet and his team, the equation is simple another win would put them in a strong position heading into the second half of the tournament, while a defeat could make the battle for the top two considerably tighter.
The two teams had a closely-fought encounter in the London leg of the Pro League before the World Cup, with both sides winning a penalty shootout and earning bonus points. India will also hope that the three-day training camp in Switzerland before the tournament helps them handle the pressure of high-stakes matches.
