Top 5 Countries with Most Goals in Hockey Men’s World Cup

The 15th edition of the Hockey World Cup is going to happen in India. The tournament will run from 13 January to 29 January 2023 in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. All teams are gearing p for the event where Belgium will look to defend their title. However, it will be a great opportunity for team India to win the World Cup as the host.

However, there are many teams who always look for goals. High-scoring games are normal when those teams when locking horns with opponents. So, there are some teams who have scored many goals in the history of the Hockey World Cup. But, there are only three teams who have crossed the 200-goal mark in this tournament.   

Here are the top five goalscoring countries in the history of the Hockey World Cup:

Spain (176 goals)

Spain (Image Source: Twitter)

The Redsticks are currently the eighth-ranked team in the world. Spain have never won a World Cup in their history. In the 1971 and 1998 editions, they finished as runner-up only. As of now, they have played 94 matches and scored 176 goals. However, Spain have competed in every World Cup since its introduction in 1971.

Thus, they will look to cross the 200-goal mark in this next World Cup. In the last edition in 2018, they failed to win a single game and got knocked out of the group stage only. So, they will look to perform well in this year’s World Cup. The Redstics are in Pool D with India, England, and Wales.    

India (199 goals)

India (Image Source: Twitter)

The Men in Blue are currently the sixth-ranked team in the world. India have won the tournament once in their history in 1975 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As of now, they have played 95 matches in the World Cups and scored 199 goals. Thus, in this next World Cup, they will look to cross the 200-goal mark.

There is only one instance where an Indian player was the highest goal-scorer in a single edition of the World Cup. Rajinder Singh was the highest goal-scorer in the 1982 edition in Bombay with 12 goals. In the last edition in 2018, they lost to the Netherlands in the quarter-final by 2-1.     

Pakistan (235 goals)

Pakistan (Image Source: Twitter)

The Green Machines are currently the 17th-ranked team in the world. Pakistan are the most successful team in the history of the Hockey World Cup with four titles. They won the title last time way back in 1994. As of now, they have played 89 matches in the World Cups and scored 235 goals. They won the inaugural edition of this World Cup in 1971.

Tanvir Dar was the highest goal-scorer in that edition in Barcelona with eight goals. However, they will not take a part in this upcoming World Cup. They failed to seal their place among the top four places in the Asia Cup 2022. In the last edition, Pakistan lost to the Red Lions in the crossovers.  

Netherlands (267 goals)

Netherlands (Image Source: Twitter)

The Oranje are the third-ranked team in the world behind Australia and Belgium. The Netherlands have won three World Cups so far in their history. They won the title last time in 1998. As of now, they have played 61 matches in the World Cups and scored 267 goals. Paul Lijens is the highest goalscorer in the tournament’s history with 25 individual goals.

15 goals among those came during the 1978 World Cup in Buenos Aires. He was the highest goal-scorer in that tournament. However, the Oranje lost the final 3-1 against Pakistan in that edition. So, they will look to cross the 300-goal mark in this upcoming World Cup to become the second team only to do so.   

Australia (305 goals)

Australia (Image Source: Twitter)

The Kookaburras are currently the number-one-ranked team in the world. Australia have won three World Cups so far in their history. They won the title last time in 2014. As of now, they have played 92 matches in the World Cups and scored 305 goals. Thus, they hold the average of the most number of goals per game.

Several Australian players managed to become the highest goal-scorer in a single World Cup edition. In the last edition in 2018, Blake Govers was the highest goal-scorer with seven goals. However, they are the only team who have scored more than 300 goals in the history of this tournament.