Hockey World Cup 2023: Germany rise to No. 1 position in FIH rankings, India in sixth place

Germany have risen to the top spot in the FIH Rankings by virtue of their Hockey World Cup 2023 win. The Germans, who were fourth ahead of the tournament, now find themselves on top of the heap.

Australia, who failed to win a World Cup bronze after losing to the Netherlands, find themselves in the fourth spot.

Despite reaching the finals, 2018 champions Belgium, who were ranked second, have dropped to third spot. Meanwhile, the Netherlands have risen a single rung to be perched in second position on the FIH ranking ladder.

The Indians remain in sixth position behind England despite failing to qualify for the 2023 Hockey World Cup quarterfinals.

The Germans stunned the hockey fraternity by bagging the Hockey World Cup trophy when not many expected them to. Andre Henning's team seemed to be headed for elimination in the quarterfinal stage when they trailed England by two goals until the 57th minute.

When Christopher Ruhr hit the post off a penalty stroke with three minutes left on the clock, the England think-tank may well have believed that the match was won.

Mats Grambusch had other ideas, however, as he halved the deficit. His brother Tom then scored off another penalty stroke to take the match into a shootout where the Germans held their nerves to pull off a seemingly-miraculous win.

History was repeated in the quarterfinals when the Germans trailed Australia by a couple of goals until the 43rd minute. Gonzalo Peillat then stepped up with a trademark PC goal before adding another to level things up.

Blake Govers gave Australia a 3-2 lead with two minutes left on the clock. However, Peillat produced a PC hat-trick while Niklas Wellen scored an incredible winner at the death to stun the Kookaburras.

Germany trailed Belgium by two goals in the finals as well, before Niklas Wellen and Peillat changed the equation with a goal apiece.

Mats Grambusch gave Germany a 3-2 lead while Tom Boon's last-minute strike took the match into a shootout. German goalkeeper Jean-Paul Danneberg's heroics handed his team a historic Hockey World Cup win.

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Germany join Pakistan, Australia, and the Netherlands as three-time Hockey World Cup champions

Germany beat Belgium in a cattle of the titans Image Ctsy: Hockey India

The Germans, who registered back-to-back wins in 2002 and 2006 won their third World Cup title in Odisha following a 13-year wait to make it to the finals of the competition.

Pakistan remain the most successful team in the history of the tournament, having won the trophy on four occasions. The Netherlands and Australia have both reigned supreme thrice.

Germany, who lost to India in the bronze-medal game of the 2021 Olympics, have been in the ascendancy ever since. They have also benefitted significantly with the inclusion of star drag-flicker Gonzalo Peillat, who catapulted Argentina to an Olympic triumph in 2016.

The rapid rise of England, who were on fire in Odisha until their shock defeat in the quarterfinals, and Germany's World Cup triumph will make things a lot harder for India.

The Men in Blue were hoping to break into the top three of the FIH Rankings after a valiant Olympic campaign. However, they could not get the job done in the Hockey World Cup at home.