Argentina holds a clear recent edge over India heading into its crucial Hockey World Cup clash in Amstelveen on Monday. The last five meetings have produced four wins for Argentina and one draw.
The most recent encounters came in the FIH Pro League in Rourkela in February, and they were particularly damaging for India. Argentina won 8-0 on February 12, one of India’s heaviest defeats in recent years, before following it up with a 4-2 victory three days later. Across those two matches, Argentina scored 12 times and conceded just twice.
The pattern had already emerged during the previous Pro League season. Argentina won 2-1 in June 2025 and then edged India 4-3 the following day. Their last meeting before that was a 1-1 draw at the Paris Olympics in July 2024. The five matches therefore have produced 18 Argentina goals to India’s six, underlining the attacking threat India will have to contain.
Yet this is a different contest, with considerably more at stake. India enters the final Pool E match with no points after losing 1-3 to the Netherlands, while Argentina sits on three points after beating England 3-1.
For India, victory is essential but may not be enough. It needs a sizeable win and favourable movement in the Netherlands-England result to keep its semifinal hopes alive, making every goal potentially decisive.
Published on Aug 24, 2026
