Argentina produced one of the most dominant performances in recent FIH Pro League history, crushing hosts India 8-0 at the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela on Thursday, February 12. The result sent shockwaves through the hockey world and marked India's joint-biggest defeat in international competition, equalling identical 8-0 losses to the Netherlands in 1985 and Australia in 2010.

Tomas Domene was the undisputed star of the evening, netting four goals in the 15th, 20th, 26th and 60th minutes to dismantle a shell-shocked Indian defense. His clinical finishing, combined with goals from Tomas Ruiz (14th minute), Lucio Mendez (22nd), Ignacio Ibarra (25th) and Nicolas della Torre (30th), ensured Los Leones ran riot in front of a stunned home crowd.

The match began with India showing some promise, and the hosts were even awarded a penalty stroke late in the first quarter. However, captain Harmanpreet Singh, usually so reliable from the spot, was denied by Argentine goalkeeper Tomas Santiago. That missed opportunity proved to be a turning point. Almost immediately after the save, Ruiz unleashed a powerful tomahawk strike that flew into the back of the net, giving Argentina a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute.

From there, the floodgates opened. Domene struck in the 15th minute to double the advantage, and the goals kept coming at a relentless pace. By the end of the first half, Argentina had built a commanding 6-0 lead, with Mendez, Ibarra, Domene again, and della Torre all finding the target. The Indian defense, which had been one of the team's strengths in recent years, was completely overwhelmed by Argentina's pace, movement and finishing.

India created multiple opportunities in the second half, with forwards Shilanand Lakra and Aditya Lalage both coming close to pulling a goal back, but Santiago stood tall in the Argentine goal to preserve the clean sheet. Domene completed his remarkable four-goal haul in the final minute, firing home just seconds before the final hooter to put an exclamation mark on a historic victory.

The result compounded what had already been a difficult start to the FIH Pro League 2025-26 campaign for India. Just the day before, the Men in Blue had lost 1-3 to Belgium at the same venue, with Lakra's equalizing goal in the 29th minute cancelled out by late strikes from Thomas Crols and Arno Van Dessel in the fourth quarter. Nelson Onana had opened the scoring for Belgium in the 23rd minute.

Two consecutive defeats on home soil have left India with zero points from their opening two matches, raising serious concerns about the team's form heading into the rest of the season. Meanwhile, Argentina's dominant victory propelled them further atop the Pro League standings, where they lead with a commanding points tally from their opening matches.

The result also marks the biggest ever margin of victory for Argentina over India in international hockey, a sobering milestone for a nation that won Olympic bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Games and has been among the sport's elite in recent years. Indian hockey fans and pundits alike are now calling for urgent introspection as the team looks to recover its form in the remaining Pro League fixtures.