AMSTELVEEN, Netherlands: Pakistan finally broke their 16-year winless hoodoo in the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup on Saturday, staging a remarkable comeback to edge past Japan 4-3 in a pulsating 9th to 16th place classification match at the Wagener Stadium.
The victory, secured through Hannan Shahid’s 40th-minute tie-breaker, marked Pakistan’s first World Cup triumph since their 2-1 victory over Spain in the 2010 edition – ending a drought that had haunted the once-dominant Asian giants for nearly two decades.
A brilliant run from Ammad Butt and a superb finish by Hannan Shahid sealed Pakistan’s first-ever Hockey World Cup win in 6,017 days! 🇵🇰🏑@Hannan_shahid09 @AmmadButt96 pic.twitter.com/9ODW8jSfqy
— Muneeb Farrukh (@Muneeb313_) August 22, 2026
Slow start turns into fightback
Pakistan, featuring in their first World Cup after an eight-year hiatus following their failure to qualify in 2014 and winless campaign in 2018, endured a nightmare start against the fast-starting Japanese side.
Hyota Yamada and Kaito Tanaka struck twice in the opening quarter, leaving the Green Shirts shell-shocked and trailing 2-0 within the first 15 minutes.
However, the Pakistanis showed remarkable resilience. Rana Waheed Ashraf pulled one back in the second quarter, reducing the deficit to 2-1 heading into halftime, a scoreline that gave the green shirts renewed belief.
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Second-half turnaround
Ashraf struck again just two minutes into the third quarter to level the scores, and Muhammad Hammadudin followed up a minute later to complete a stunning turnaround, putting Pakistan 3-2 ahead for the first time in the match.
Japan refused to surrender, with Koji Yamasaki responding just two minutes later to restore parity at 3-3 in a breathless spell of attacking hockey.
The decisive moment came in the 40th minute when Hannan Shahid found the back of the net, giving Pakistan a 4-3 lead that they would defend desperately until the final whistle.
It ends Pakistan 4 Japan 3. Good match for Pakistan but first quarter issues persist. You don’t want newzeland to take advantage of that when they meet them on Monday. @FIH_Hockey world cup 2026 pic.twitter.com/g8T4YFFhQa
— Dr. Adnan (@dr_adnann) August 22, 2026
Relief for Pakistan hockey
The victory, while only in the classification rounds, carries immense significance for Pakistani hockey. The Green Shirts had endured a disappointing main round campaign, suffering defeats to England and arch-rivals India while managing just one point from a 3-3 draw against Wales, results that condemned them to the lower playoffs.
6,017 DAYS LATER… PAKISTAN WIN A HOCKEY WORLD CUP MATCH!
The wait is finally over! Pakistan have defeated Japan in the classification round to register their first FIH Hockey World Cup win in 16 years.
Pakistan’s last World Cup victory came 6,017 days ago. That’s more than 16… pic.twitter.com/Vbry25ZaA2
— Faizan Lakhani (@faizanlakhani) August 22, 2026
For the unversed, Pakistan’s absence from the 2014 edition and their winless performance in 2018 had extended their World Cup victory drought to 16 agonizing years. Saturday’s triumph, though not the ultimate prize, provides a much-needed morale boost for a nation that once dominated world hockey with four World Cup titles.
Read Also: Pakistan Hold Wales to Thrilling 3-3 Draw in Hockey World Cup
The players celebrated passionately at the final whistle, fully aware that they had finally ended a painful chapter in Pakistan hockey history.
