In a thrilling 4-1 triumph over Wales at the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers in Hyderabad, India’s women’s team has punched their ticket to the 2026 World Cup in Belgium and Netherlands. While India are yet to play their semi-final match of the Hyderabad leg against Italy on Friday, they are already assured a spot in the 2026 Women’s FIH Hockey World Cup. Ranked ninth globally, India outrank Japan by six places in the FIH women’s hockey rankings. Even if the hosts lose their semis to Italy and the subsequent third-place playoff match, they are guaranteed to finish as the better-ranked fourth-placed team.
Navneet Kaur’s hat-trick (29′, 34′, 55′) and Sakshi Rana’s opener (7′) propelled them atop Pool B, marking a proud milestone for Indian hockey on the global stage. This will be the ninth time India will play at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup—their best performance, fourth place, came at the inaugural edition in 1974. The Indian women’s hockey team finished ninth in the 2022 World Cup in Spain.
A dominant campaign—4-0 vs Uruguay, 2-2 draw with Scotland—fuels excitement for today’s semifinal. The squad’s grit shines ahead of August’s marquee event!
