Have a look at the updated Group D points table after England beat Wales 8-2:

England put on a dominant show and outplayed Wales by a massive margin of 8-2 in their Pool D game. This means that a draw against Pakistan would be enough to take India into the second round of the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 now. Their arch-rivals, in such a case, will be eliminated.

The criterion stays unchanged for Pakistan, though. They need to win this game to advance to the next round.

The pressure-cooker game at the Wagener Hockey Stadium will decide who stays in the race for the semi-finals as India and Pakistan renew one of hockey's most storied rivalries in a Pool D clash, knowing that there is little room for error.

India walk into the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup clash against arch-rivals Pakistan with a massive psychological advantage, having remained unbeaten against them across all tournaments over the last 10 years. Few contests in world hockey carry the weight and emotion of an India-Pakistan encounter, and the same excitement will be on display when the two arch-rivals meet at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 today.

The top two teams from each of the four pools in the first stage will remain in contention for the semi-finals, while the bottom two teams will move into the classification matches. India are placed in Group D, alongside Pakistan, England and Wales.

Hello folks, welcome to NDTV's live blog for the India vs Pakistan blockbuster clash at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026. The highly anticipated contest between the arch-rivals begins at 6:30 PM IST. Stay connected!