India concluded their FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 campaign with an eighth-place finish on 29 August, falling to hosts Belgium 3-4 in a shootout after the 7th-8th place classification match at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre ended 3-3 in regulation. A last-gasp Harmanpreet Singh penalty corner in the dying seconds forced the shootout, but Belgium held their nerve to claim seventh place.

Key Developments

Abhishek gave India an early lead in the sixth minute, converting from a tight angle after Manpreet Singh created the opening — the ball deflecting off goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch into the net. Belgium hit back swiftly through Roman Duvekot and Hugo Labouchere in the 22nd and 23rd minutes, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead by half-time.

Harmanpreet levelled immediately after the restart with a trademark drag-flick penalty corner to make it 2-2. Belgium challenged the goal but the video review found no infringement. Nicolas de Kerpel restored the Belgian advantage in the fourth quarter, his shot bouncing off the turf and beyond goalkeeper Mohith HS's reach after the ball struck an Indian defender.

India's Last-Gasp Equaliser

With the clock winding down, India pulled goalkeeper Suraj Karkera with under three minutes remaining and introduced an additional outfield player. The gamble paid off: India won a penalty corner with just 26 seconds left, and Harmanpreet stepped up once more to beat Vanasch and level at 3-3, forcing a shootout.

Shootout: Belgium Hold Their Nerve

In the shootout, Tom Boon, Arthur de Sloover, and Alexander Hendrickx (via penalty stroke) scored for Belgium. Duvekot converted the decisive attempt despite Mohith contesting with a referral — the goal stood after review. For India, Abhishek converted but both Harmanpreet and Sukhjeet Singh were denied by the outstanding Vanasch, leaving Belgium winners 4-3 in the shootout.

Harmanpreet's Personal Milestone

Harmanpreet finished the tournament with eight goals, joint-top of the scoring charts alongside Argentina's Domene, with one day of competition still remaining. The captain's individual brilliance — including a dramatic equaliser in the final seconds — could not, however, lift India beyond eighth place. Notably, this result underlined the missed opportunities that kept India out of the semi-final picture earlier in the tournament.

Match Context and What It Means for India

Belgium were aggressive from the first whistle, pressing hard and entering the Indian circle inside the opening minute. India's goalkeeper Karkera was in fine form, twice denying Hendrickx from penalty corners in the first quarter, while Jugraj Singh made a timely goal-line intervention. India were also reduced to 10 men briefly when Harmanpreet received a yellow card after an extra-player infringement. This is a tournament India will reflect on with mixed emotions — a captain at the peak of his powers, but a collective performance that fell short of the semi-finals. India's next major assignment on the international calendar will draw fresh scrutiny on their defensive structure and finishing in high-pressure moments.