Pool A : Australia, West Germany, India, England, Poland, Canada, Belgium
Pool B : Pakistan, Netherlands, Spain, Argentina, Malaysia, Ireland, Italy

India's Match Results :

• There were 3 contenders for hosting the 1978 World Cup - Melbourne, Hong Kong and Buenos Aires. The voting went in favour of Buenos Aires since 1978 was also the Year of Sport in Argentina. From Europe (1971, 1973) and Asia (1975), it was now America's turn to spread the gospel of hockey. This remains to date the only hockey World Cup to be held on American soil. Also, from this World Cup onwards, the tournament would be held once in 4 years, in between the Olympic years, in the same years as World Cup Football.
  
  
• World champions India's problems started from the coaching camp itself. Three top players,  Surjeet Singh, Baldev Singh and Varinder Singh, quit the camp at Patiala over a disagreement with the management. Two of the three players -  Baldev and Varinder - were later convinced to rejoin the team, with only Surjeet Singh holding out. In addition, star forward B. P. Govinda was dropped as the IHF was unwilling to make him the captain, and the forward was unwilling to play unless appointed captain. All these off-the-field shenanigans brought down the morale of the defending world champions. 
  
  
• In their opening match, India beat Belgium only by a solitary goal. They then proceeded to beat Australia 2-0, avenging their defeat to Australia in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Australia had beaten India twice at the Montreal Olympics, including a 6-1 pasting of the world champions.
  
  
• Then came India's match against Germany, whose offense was in full flow, having thrashed Poland 9-0. In a spectacular display of strength, Germany beat India 7-0. The goal scorers in this German demolition job were Hans Montag, Wolfgang Stroedter (2), Rainer Seifert, Heinrich Dopp (2) and Peter Trump. Defending champions India were rudely awakened to reality. This remains the worst defeat suffered by India in international hockey.
  
  
• Besides that huge loss to Germany, India lost to Canada 1-3. They defeated Poland 3-1, but in a crucial match, title-holders India drew 1-1 with England to make an unceremonious exit from the World Cup. India had to win to make it to the semi-finals, but the team choked when it mattered the most. The story would be repeated 4 years later, in the 1982 World Cup in Mumbai, when India had to just draw with Australia in her final pool match. India lost that match 1-2 to yet again bow out of the World Cup.
  
  
• Pakistan kept the flame of Asian hockey burning brightly. In the pool matches, Pakistan snuffed out Holland 3-1 and Spain 2-1. In the semi-finals, Pakistan beat Germany by a solitary goal, scored in extra-time by Islahuddin. In the finals, Pakistan defeated Holland 3-2 to lift the 4th World Cup. Despite Paul Litjens' blistering penalty corners (he scored a tournament-high 15 goals), Pakistan remained the only undefeated team in the World Cup, and won their second world championship.
  
  
• India ended up sixth in Buenos Aires, losing to Spain 0-2, after beating Argentina 3-2 in the classification matches. The fourth World Cup in Buenos Aires started the slide from grace for India. After being placed 3rd in the 1971 World Cup, 2nd in the 1973 World Cup and 1st in the 1975 World Cup, India would never again make it to the semi-finals of the World Cup competition.

Final Standings :

Indian Team :

V. J. Philips (captain), Manuel Fredricks, Olympio Fernandes, Baldev Singh, Gopal Bhengra, Topo, Virender Singh, Robert Claudius, V. Bhaskaran, Ashok Kumar, Surinder Singh Sodhi, Sukhbir Singh Grewal, Vincent Lakra, Syed Ali, Dung Dung, Zafar Iqbal

Coach: R. S. Gentle; Manager: Kartar Singh