India’s eighth-place finish at the 2026 Men’s Hockey World Cup was disappointing for a team coming off two consecutive Olympic medals. Despite flashes of attacking quality, defensive lapses, inconsistency and dependence on Harmanpreet Singh’s penalty corners prevented India from challenging the world’s best.

Belgium claimed their first-ever Sultan Azlan Shah Cup title with a narrow 1-0 victory over India in the final held in Malaysia. The decisive moment came in the 34' when Thibeau Stockbroekx scored the only goal of the match.