Pakistan Hockey World Cup Campaign Starts With 4-1 Defeat to England
England controlled the contest in Amstelveen as Pakistan struggled to convert chances before Afraz scored a late consolation goal
Pakistan suffered a 4-1 defeat against England in their opening FIH Hockey World Cup match in Amstelveen.
AMSTELVEEN: Pakistan began their FIH Hockey World Cup campaign with a 4-1 defeat against England at the Wagener Hockey Stadium on Saturday, leaving the Green Shirts searching for a response in their next pool match. The 2026 tournament is being held in Belgium and the Netherlands from August 15 to 30.
Pakistan made an energetic start and used long passes to put pressure on England. They earned an early penalty corner in the fifth minute, but the injection was not controlled properly and the chance disappeared.
England gradually took control of the match. Stuart Rushmere opened the scoring in the 13th minute after Pakistan struggled to create clear opportunities.
Goalkeeper Ali Raza kept Pakistan within touching distance with several important saves. He also denied England from their first penalty corner of the second quarter.
Pakistan captain Abu Bakar received a green card after a technical infringement during a penalty-corner situation. The Green Shirts then faced increasing pressure as England looked to extend their advantage.
Sam Ward doubled England’s lead in the 29th minute, sending the Three Lions into half-time with a 2-0 advantage.
England continued their strong performance after the break. Sam Hooper converted a penalty corner in the 32nd minute to make it 3-0.
Pakistan immediately looked for a response and earned a penalty corner of their own. England goalkeeper James Mazarelo produced a crucial save to prevent the Green Shirts from getting on the scoresheet.
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Pakistan continued to attack but found England’s defence difficult to break down. The Three Lions entered the final quarter with a commanding 3-0 lead.
James Albery added England’s fourth goal in the 48th minute from another penalty corner.
Pakistan finally found the net three minutes later when Afraz scored in the 51st minute. The goal briefly raised hopes of a comeback, but England maintained control during the closing stages.
England earned another penalty corner but could not increase their lead. Pakistan’s defence prevented further damage as the match ended 4-1.
The result leaves Pakistan hockey with a difficult start to the World Cup. England and India both began Pool D with victories, while Pakistan and Wales suffered defeats on the opening day.
In other matches, Germany defeated Malaysia 5-1 after taking a 3-0 lead early in the match. Malaysia pulled one goal back through Abu Kamal Azrai, but Justus Warweg restored Germany’s advantage before Paul-Philipp Kaufmann completed the scoring.
India also began their campaign with a victory, defeating Wales 3-1. Sanjay and Harmanpreet Singh scored for India, with Harmanpreet finding the net twice. Wales’ Sam Welsh scored their consolation goal.
World No. 1 Belgium were pushed hard by France before securing a 3-2 victory. France took the lead through Eliot Curty and later regained the advantage through Florent Vaal. Belgium responded with goals from Roman Duvekot and Alexander Hendrickx to complete the comeback.
Pakistan will now turn their attention to Wales in their second Pool D match. The Green Shirts are scheduled to face Wales on Monday as they look to recover from their opening defeat. Current tournament listings confirm Pakistan’s next Pool D fixture against Wales.
