Amsterdam, August 28: In a thrilling encounter at the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026, the Indian women’s team triumphed over Germany with a score of 3-1, securing fifth place in the tournament. This match, held on Thursday, marked the conclusion of India’s historic campaign.
With this impressive victory against the world’s fifth-ranked team, India achieved its best performance in the FIH World Cup since the inaugural women’s tournament in 1974, where they finished fourth.
The match, played in Amsterdam, saw no goals scored in the first 30 minutes. However, India showcased aggressive play in the third quarter. Novneet Kaur scored twice, while Ishika added another goal, ensuring a memorable win for the team.
Initially, both teams played cautiously, with Germany maintaining more ball possession. In the 11th minute, Germany came close to scoring when Johanna Hachenberg attempted a reverse hit, but an Indian defender thwarted the effort. India responded with Lalremsiami, who tried to find Novneet in the German 23-meter area, but the pass did not reach its target.
Germany earned their first penalty corner in the 15th minute. Bichu Devi initially cleared the danger, but a subsequent scramble led to another penalty corner for Germany. They attempted a variation, but a miscommunication caused the ball to go out of play, leaving the first quarter scoreless.
India’s best chance in the second quarter came when Deepika passed to Novneet, who set up Lalremsiami. Unfortunately, her shot went wide. Shortly after, Germany received another penalty corner, but India defended well.
Finally, in the 43rd minute, India broke the deadlock. Neha gained possession and passed to Ishika, who decided to take on the German defense herself. Her powerful run culminated in a brilliant finish, giving India a 1-0 lead.
Just a minute later, India doubled their advantage. After sustained pressure, they earned a penalty corner. This time, Novneet struck a powerful shot into the gap, increasing the score to 2-0 as the third quarter ended.
India maintained their dominance in the final quarter, scoring a third goal in the 47th minute. Salima passed to Novneet near the baseline, and she skillfully evaded two defenders to net her second goal.
Germany managed to pull one back when Krings scored a consolation goal in the 59th minute. With just 12 seconds left in the game, Germany was awarded one last penalty corner, but India’s defense held strong, sealing the match at 3-1.
India concluded the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026 with 2 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss. Their only defeat came against the reigning champions, the Netherlands. They drew matches against higher-ranked teams like China, England, and Australia, and recorded their biggest win in the tournament by defeating South Africa 6-1.
Although the Indian team narrowly missed out on a semifinal spot, securing fifth place represents significant progress, boosting their confidence ahead of next month’s Asian Games.
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