Even before its final Pool B match of the Qualifiers against Wales, India had already secured its place in this year’s FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup. The eventual 4-1 win over the Welsh side was simply the icing on the cake.
With the semifinals yet to be played, here’s how the Women in Blue sealed their qualification for the marquee event.
Under FIH rules, two qualification tournaments – one in Hyderabad and the other in Santiago, Chile – determine the final seven teams that make the World Cup cut. The top three teams from each tournament qualify directly, while the seventh spot goes to the best fourth-placed team across both events.
READ | With FIH Women’s World Cup spot assured, India clinically takes apart Wales 4-1
The Santiago leg concluded just before the action shifted to Hyderabad, where Chile, Australia and Ireland claimed the three direct qualification spots. Japan, ranked 15th in the world, finished fourth in that tournament.
Three teams will also qualify directly from the Hyderabad leg. India is set to face Italy in the semifinals, while England will take on Scotland in the other last-four clash.
However, even in the worst-case scenario – if India loses both the semifinal and the third-place playoff – it would still finish ahead of Japan in the race for the best fourth-placed team, thanks to a six-place advantage in the world rankings.
In other words, even if India does not win another match in the ongoing qualifiers in the City of Pearls, it has already done enough to book its spot at the Women’s World Cup.
Published on Mar 12, 2026
