FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026 : India’s women’s hockey team booked their place at the upcoming FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup even though they fell short in the final of the qualifying tournament. On Saturday (14 March), England defeated India 2–0 in the title clash, but the result was still enough for the Indian side to seal a World Cup berth.
England Take Control Early
England, currently ranked sixth in the world, opened the scoring in the 13th minute. Grace Balsdon successfully converted a penalty corner to give her team the lead and put India under early pressure.
Second Goal Strengthens England’s Hold
The English team extended their advantage in the third quarter. Elizabeth Neal scored a field goal in the 43rd minute, doubling England’s lead and making the task tougher for the Indian side.
India Fight Hard but Fall Short
India, ranked ninth globally, pushed hard to find a breakthrough and kept searching for a goal. However, England’s disciplined defensive setup denied them any scoring opportunities, and the match ended 2–0 in England’s favour.
Three Teams Earn World Cup Tickets
Despite the defeat, India secured qualification for the upcoming Women’s Hockey World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium later this year. England lifted the qualifier trophy, India finished as runners-up, and Scotland also confirmed their World Cup spot after edging Italy 1–0 in another key match of the tournament.