India vs Argentina Live: Can India pull off the impossible and make semis?

NewsSportsHockeyIndia vs Argentina Live: Can India pull off the impossible and make semis?Hockey World Cup 2026IND vs ARG Hockey World Cup 2026 Live Score: India will have their backs against the wall and will know that their work will be cut out as they face Argentina in a do-or-die clash in phase 2 of the men's hockey World Cup 2026.India vs Argentina live, men's hockey World Cup 2026 (Courtesy: Hockey India)Aug 24, 2026 17:46 ISTIND vs ARG Live: India name strong squadIndia will be starting with Mohith in goal and captain Harmanpreet Singh is also in the lineup after struggling with a back issue. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐓 🇮🇳🔥 Here’s your Indian Men’s Team Starting XI for the must-win Round 2 clash against Argentina in Pool E at the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026. 🏑🏆 Just over 30 minutes to pushback! 💪🇮🇳 📺 Star Sports Select 2 (SD+HD) + Khel &… pic.twitter.com/lbSMx1DFQo — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) August 24, 2026 Aug 24, 2026 17:38 ISTIND vs ARG: Fulton hoping for better performanceA lot of maths is going to be involved, but Craig Fulton wants his side to go out and put in a great performance. India will need to win by a healthy margin to ensure they make it to the next round. IN IT TO WIN IT ! 🇮🇳⚔️🇦🇷 A big win over Argentina combined with the math in the concluding Pool E fixture between England and the Netherlands will keep Indian men’s team’s FIH World Cup 2026 campaign alive. Chief Coach Craig Fulton previews the big one: India vs Argentina.🔥🗣️… pic.twitter.com/IMDh4uh5Pu — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) August 24, 2026 Aug 24, 2026 17:26 ISTIND vs ARG Live: India' issuesThe biggest problem has been how India have failed to capitalise when it comes to goals. Apart from Harmanpreet's six goals, no one else has stepped up. The forward line has looked lacklustre and aren't doing enough to convert the chances. "It's all about capitalising on opportunities. Even if we played 99 percent well, even a one percent mistake can prove costly, and that's what happened to us. We knew their game and had beaten them in the Pro League, but mistakes in the last 20 minutes cost us," said Hardik Singh. Aug 24, 2026 17:24 ISTIND vs ARG: Head-to-headIndia have beaten Argentina 10 times out of 21 matches. Argentina have got 9 wins and two matches have ended in draws. The worrying thing for India is that they haven't beaten the South American side in their last five matches, with four of them being defeats. They were beaten 2-4 and 0-8 during the Hockey Pro League leg earlier on in the year. These teams have scored 94 goals during the 21 matches with an average of 4.48. Harmanpreet Singh will be key as he has 12 goals against Argentina. Aug 24, 2026 17:17 ISTIND vs ARG Live: How can India qualify?India's most straightforward path to the semifinals would be to beat Argentina by at least two goals and then hope the Netherlands defeat England by a margin of three or more. A win would take India to three points, with goal difference potentially becoming decisive if teams finish level on points. India effectively need a minimum four-goal swing over England across the two matches to move ahead in the standings. For example, a 3-1 win over Argentina would leave India with six goals scored and eight conceded. If England then lose 2-0 to the Netherlands, they would finish with five goals scored and seven conceded, allowing India to progress on the strength of having scored more goals. However, turning those calculations into reality will be a formidable challenge. Argentina have looked dangerous going forward throughout the tournament and will head into the contest high on confidence after their impressive 3-1 victory against England on Saturday. Aug 24, 2026 17:16 ISTIndia vs Argentina Hockey Live: PreviewIndia face a daunting task against Argentina on Monday, needing not only a convincing victory but also favourable results elsewhere to keep their Hockey World Cup semifinal hopes alive. The 1-3 loss to the Netherlands had left India's campaign hanging by a thread. However, Argentina's victory over England on Saturday ensured that India remain in the race, at least mathematically. Their fate will also be influenced by the outcome of the Netherlands versus England match, which takes place later on Monday. For India to stand a chance of progressing, the Netherlands must defeat England. A draw or an England win would end India's campaign regardless of the result against Argentina. Under the tournament's revised format, only the top two teams from Pool E will qualify for the semifinals. The Netherlands have already booked their place in the last four after collecting six points from their first two matches. England and Argentina are both on three points, while India are yet to register a point in the second round. The Indian team remains in contention on paper, but their route to the semifinals is far from straightforward.