Amstelveen, Aug. 18 -- Few contests in world hockey carry the weight and emotion of an India-Pakistan encounter and it will be the same excitement when the two arch-rivals meet at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 on Wednesday.

The pressure-cooker game at the Wagener Hockey Stadium will decide who stays in the race to the semi-finals as India and Pakistan renew one of hockey's most storied rivalries in a Pool D clash, knowing that there is little room for error, according to a press release from Hockey India.

The equation is clear for both sides. India currently occupy second place in Pool D with three points, having opened their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Wales before suffering a 2-4 defeat to England. Pakistan, meanwhile, have one p...