Amstelveen, August 22, 2026: Pakistan ended a 16-year wait for an FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup victory on Saturday, producing a dramatic 4-3 comeback win over Japan in the ninth-to-16th place classification match at the Wagener Stadium.
The victory marked Pakistan’s first World Cup win since their 2-1 triumph over Spain in the 2010 edition and provided a much-needed boost to a campaign that had otherwise proved disappointing.
Returning to the World Cup after an eight-year absence, Pakistan struggled in the main round, losing to England and their arch-rivals while earning only one point from a 3-3 draw against Wales. The results saw the Green Shirts miss out on qualification for the next round and enter the classification phase.
Against Japan, Pakistan made a difficult start as the Asian side scored twice in the opening quarter through Hyota Yamada and Kaito Tanaka to take a 2-0 lead.
Pakistan responded in the second quarter when Rana Waheed Ashraf found the net to reduce the deficit to 2-1, with Japan taking the narrow advantage into halftime.
The Green Shirts came out strongly after the interval. Ashraf scored his second goal just two minutes into the third quarter before Muhammad Hammadudin struck a minute later to put Pakistan ahead for the first time.
Japan quickly restored parity, however, as Koji Yamasaki scored two minutes later to make it 3-3 and set up a tense finish.
Pakistan regained the lead in the 40th minute when Hannan Shahid scored the decisive fourth goal. Despite Japan’s attempts to level the contest, Pakistan’s defence held firm through the remainder of the match to secure the hard-fought victory.
The result ended Pakistan’s long-standing World Cup drought after the national side failed to qualify for the 2014 tournament and went winless at the 2018 edition.
The victory also offered Pakistan a positive moment on their return to the global stage, with the Green Shirts now continuing their campaign in the remaining classification fixtures.
