The FIH Hockey World Cup for Junior Men delivered one of its most dramatic nights yet, with two of the four quarter-finals decided in tense shootouts. Hosts India edged Belgium 4-3, while defending champions Germany overcame France 3-1 after both matches ended 2-2 in regulation time.

Argentina secured a narrow win over the Netherlands, and Spain held off a late New Zealand charge to record a 4-3 victory in a gripping finish.

The quarter-finals stood in sharp contrast to the earlier pool stages, which featured several lopsided contests with double-digit scorelines. In the knockout round, however, every match was decided by a single goal in regulation time, with only the Germany–France shootout producing a two-goal margin.

India will now face Germany in the semi-finals, while Argentina and Spain will compete for the other spot in the championship match.

The results marked a disappointing end for Belgium and the Netherlands, both still chasing their first Junior Men’s World Cup title.

A packed Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium witnessed a thrilling evening, capped by India and Germany’s shootout triumphs. India’s 4-3 win in the tiebreaker came courtesy of standout performances by goalkeeper Prince Deep Singh and defender Sharda Nand Tiwari.

Belgium struck first in the 13th minute through Gaspard Cornez-Massant and held India at bay until the final minute of the third quarter. India equalized when skipper Rohit converted a penalty corner in the 45th minute, and Tiwari added another in the 48th to give the hosts a 2-1 advantage. Belgium responded with a dramatic 59th-minute strike from Nathan Rogge, pushing the contest to a shootout.

During the one-on-one duels, Belgium’s goalkeeper Alexis van Havere fouled Indian attackers three times, resulting in penalty strokes. Tiwari converted each opportunity before Ankit Pal netted the winning goal, which Belgium challenged unsuccessfully.

Prince Deep played a decisive role in the Indian goal, denying Rogge and Nicolas Bogaerts. Hugo Labouchere, Guerlain Hawaux, and Charles Langendries scored for Belgium in the shootout.

“I thank the crowd for their support, as their noise raised our confidence,” said India’s goalkeeper and Player of the Match Prince Deep. “There was pressure, but I have to make saves whether it is the last minute or not. I have learned everything from (chief coach and goalkeeping legend) PR Sreejesh. It has raised my confidence. This tournament has given me a chance to showcase my skills. We will try to repeat our winning performance (in the semis) and clinch the trophy.”

In the opening quarter-final, Spain and New Zealand delivered a dramatic contest decided in the final seconds. With the score tied 3-3 after a late equalizer by Sam Lints, Spain’s Bruno Avila converted a penalty corner just before the final hooter to seal a 4-3 win.

Spain started strongly, racing to a 3-0 lead within 12 minutes through goals by Nicolas Mustaros, Josep Martin, and Albert Serrahima. New Zealand clawed back with goals from Lints in the 22nd minute and Ryan Parr in the 34th. A tight defensive battle ensued until the final minute, when Lints equalized again, only for Avila to clinch the victory moments later.

“We have qualified and feel so happy. It was a very hard match. In the first half, we were so good and dominated the match. In the second half, it was a little harder with the cards and with goals by them (New Zealand). We just defended and defended before finally winning the match with a goal in the last minute,” said Pere Amat.

Germany and France renewed their rivalry in a rematch of the 2023 final. After a 2-2 stalemate in regulation time, Germany prevailed 3-1 in the shootout. Jonas von Gersum, Justus Warweg, and Lukas Kossel scored for Germany, while Aristide Michaelis was the only French player to beat goalkeeper Jasper Ditzer, who earned Player of the Match after denying three attempts.

Regulation time saw the lead change twice. Alec von Schwerin opened the scoring for Germany in the 30th minute, but Malo Martinache equalized seconds later through a penalty corner. Paul Glander restored Germany’s lead in the 36th minute before Hugo Dolou leveled the match 2-2 in the 55th.

“It’s an amazing feeling. It was a very good team effort,” said German captain Ben Hasbach. “We had a difficult first half but fought our way back into the game in the second half to win it; we deserved it. Over the whole year, we have been good in the last two quarters. We are a very good team and brought that to the pitch today.”

Argentina secured the final semi-final berth with a hard-fought 1-0 win over the Netherlands. In a match marked by physical play and eight cards, both teams struggled to break through until Argentina earned a penalty corner in the 52nd minute, which captain Tomas Ruiz converted.

Despite frequent suspensions, including a spell when Argentina was reduced to nine players, the South American side held firm. The Dutch pushed forward aggressively, but Argentinian goalkeeper Joaquin S. Ruiz delivered a commanding performance to preserve the narrow lead.

“We train every day and play every ball as if it is the last one. We are positive every day, in every moment, and we deserve this. We are in the semifinals,” said Mateo Serrano.

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