England Outclass Pakistan by 4-1 in FIH Hockey World Cup Opener

England got their FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 campaign off to a strong start as they beat Pakistan 4-1 at the Wagener Hockey Stadium on Saturday.

Pakistan showed plenty of intent in the early minutes and tried to put England under pressure with quick, high passes. Their efforts earned them a penalty corner in the fifth minute, but a poor injection meant they could not get a shot away.

England slowly settled into the game and began to control more of the play. They pushed forward whenever they had the chance and looked for space in the Pakistan defence, although the green shirts did well to keep them away from the goal.

England then had a chance to hit back on the counter, but Pakistan recovered quickly and dealt with the danger before the Three Lions could create a serious scoring opportunity.

England kept pushing forward and finally broke the deadlock after 12 minutes. Stuart Rushmere struck first for them, as he found the net to give the Three Lions a 1-0 lead.

Pakistan found it difficult to put together a dangerous attack as the first quarter came to an end, with England still in front by a single goal.

There was also some drama when Pakistan captain Abu Bakar received a green card for a technical offence. Pakistan had failed to put their protective equipment behind the goalpost that was marked for penalty corners.

England finally found the net again in the 29th minute. Sam Ward finished the move to make it 2-0, giving the Three Lions a comfortable lead going into half-time.

England remained on the front foot after the break and soon had another chance from a penalty corner. Sam Hooper made the most of the opportunity in the 32nd minute, sending the ball into the net to give England a 3-0 lead.

In the third quarter, England again remained in charge, leaving Pakistan with just 15 minutes to find their first goal of the tournament.

England then put the result beyond doubt in the 48th minute. They won another penalty corner, and James Albery converted the chance to make it 4-0 for the Three Lions.

Pakistan finally got on the scoresheet in the 51st minute when Afraz found the net, giving his side a brief chance of making a comeback. However, England quickly shut down any hopes of a late fightback and comfortably saw out the remaining minutes to seal a 4-1 win at the Wagener Hockey Stadium.