After days of speculation and plenty of pre-match discussion around whether India and Pakistan hockey players would greet each other, the two teams put those questions to rest before their Hockey World Cup 2026 clash on Wednesday.
Players from both sides exchanged handshakes and high-fives ahead of the highly anticipated Pool D encounter at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands.
And it happened! ????
— India_AllSports (@India_AllSports) August 19, 2026
After all the pre-match talk around it, India and Pakistan players DID exchange handshakes/high-fives ahead of their Hockey World Cup clash. #Hockey #HWC2026 https://t.co/fYn3NoQ8Yh
This moment is big because, since the tensions that followed Operation Sindoor in 2025, the customary handshake between Indian and Pakistani cricketers had been missing from their encounters.
The moment caught the attention because the India-Pakistan rivalry had already been under the spotlight before the match, with considerable attention on whether the traditional pre-match greeting would take place or not.
India, led by Harmanpreet Singh, needs at least a draw to keep its qualification hopes alive after a 3-1 win over Wales and a 2-4 defeat to England. Pakistan, meanwhile, must win after losing 1-4 to England and drawing 3-3 with Wales.
The two teams have met five times at the Men's Hockey World Cup, with India winning three matches and Pakistan taking two. There has been no draw between the sides in World Cup history. India have also scored 10 goals in those five encounters, compared with Pakistan's seven.
ALSO READ | India vs Pakistan: Head-To-Head In Hockey World Cup — Wins, Losses And More
India vs Pakistan: Hockey World Cup Head-To-Head
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 1971 | Pakistan beat India 2-1 |
| 1973 | India beat Pakistan 1-0 |
| 1975 | India beat Pakistan 2-1 |
| 1986 | Pakistan beat India 3-2 |
| 2010 | India beat Pakistan 4-1 |
The first World Cup meeting between the two sides came at the inaugural edition in Barcelona in 1971. Pakistan went on to win that edition after defeating India in the semi-final.
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