Hockey World Cup: India look to salvage pride against Belgium after semi-final heartbreak

For India, today's contest is about more than simply finishing seventh in the tournament. The bronze medallists at the last two Olympics will soon shift their focus towards the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, where they will aim to win gold and secure a direct qualification berth for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

A strong performance against Belgium would therefore provide a timely confidence boost after a World Cup campaign that has fallen well below expectations.

India will need to rediscover the intensity, defensive discipline and attacking variety that have been missing at crucial moments of the tournament.

Belgium, meanwhile, will be equally determined to end their home World Cup on a positive note.

The seventh/eighth-place classification match will begin at 9:45 pm IST.

India coach Craig Fulton acknowledged the quality of the Belgian side while stressing the need for his players to produce a disciplined performance.

"Belgium is a great team and one of the top three in the world. They too will not be happy with their performance in the tournament," Fulton said.

"They have got a very specific way of playing and have key players to make that structure work. Their penalty corner attack and defence are excellent, and we will have to be very organized and good on the ball. We need to improve our defence and put that in as a platform and then we can go forward from there."

Fulton also expects the atmosphere to add another dimension to the contest, comparing it with the passionate support India receives at home.

"Playing against the hosts on their home ground is very exciting. It will be like playing against India in Rourkela or Bhubaneswar, and we are eager to play in this wonderful atmosphere," he said.

Belgium will enter the classification match with considerable attacking quality and a recent head-to-head advantage over India.

Tom Boon, who scored 19 goals in the Pro League this season, has already found the net five times at the World Cup. Penalty-corner specialist Alexander Hendrickx, meanwhile, scored 15 goals in the Pro League and gives Belgium another major threat from set pieces.

The hosts have also beaten India twice in their recent Pro League meetings in Rourkela, winning 4-2 and 3-1 in February.

Belgium had been among the pre-tournament favourites and were hoping to challenge for the title on home soil, but their own campaign has fallen short of expectations. After winning two and losing one match in the first leg, they drew against Australia and Spain in the second leg and missed out on the semi-finals.

India started the tournament impressively, registering wins over Pakistan and Wales, but their momentum was checked by a 2-4 loss to England before Argentina inflicted another damaging defeat.

Against Belgium, the Indian defence will have to improve considerably if they are to withstand the pressure generated by one of the world's strongest sides. The midfield will also need to close the gaps that have allowed opponents to create opportunities, while the attack must show greater variation.

India have depended heavily on captain Harmanpreet Singh for penalty-corner goals, but they will need contributions from across the forward and midfield lines.

Experienced campaigners Manpreet Singh and Hardik Singh could have a particularly important role in controlling possession, breaking Belgium's rhythm and creating chances for the forwards.

India's campaign has been defined by inconsistency, with the 3-5 defeat against Argentina in their final second-round match proving decisive. The result ended their hopes of reaching the semi-finals after India needed a convincing victory to remain in contention for a last-four spot. Instead, they conceded within the opening 39 seconds and struggled to recover as Argentina repeatedly exposed weaknesses in their defence.

India have scored 14 goals and conceded 16 in the tournament, highlighting the difficulties they have faced at both ends of the pitch. Their inability to maintain intensity for the entire 60 minutes has been another concern.

Even against Olympic champions Netherlands, India remained competitive for 40 minutes before conceding three goals in the final quarter to suffer a 1-3 defeat.

After falling short of expectations at the FIH World Cup, India will look to salvage some pride and regain confidence when they face formidable co-hosts Belgium in the seventh/eighth-place classification match today.

Harmanpreet Singh and his men entered the tournament with ambitions of ending India's 51-year wait for a World Cup podium finish, but those hopes were dashed after a disappointing second-round campaign.

Belgium, ranked No. 2 in the world, will pose a formidable challenge, particularly with the home crowd behind them. Having played their pool and second-round matches in Amstelveen, India have now arrived at the venue where Belgium will enjoy the advantage of familiar conditions and vocal support.