FIH Hockey World Cup 2026: New Format and India-Pakistan Fixture Confirmed
Germany and Netherlands enter as defending champions; India and Pakistan drawn in same men’s group for 19 August clash
The 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup is set to commence on 15 August, with the tournament jointly hosted across Wavre in Belgium and Amstelveen in The Netherlands. The event, which concludes on 30 August, introduces a significant structural alteration to the competition format for both the men’s and women’s editions. Each edition will feature 16 teams, replacing the traditional quarterfinal stage with a second phase utilising crossover pools.
Under the revised format, teams will initially compete in four opening pools. Following this pool stage, participants will be regrouped into four new crossover pools—designated E, F, G, and H—based on their finishing positions from the first round. This structure requires each team to play three additional matches. The top two finishers in Pools E and F will advance directly to the semifinals, while the remaining teams will contest classification matches for positions five through 16.
A focal point of the men’s competition is the scheduled encounter between India and Pakistan. The two South Asian neighbours have been drawn into the same group, Pool D, marking their first meeting at a Hockey World Cup in 16 years. Their previous World Cup fixture occurred in 2010 in New Delhi, where India defeated Pakistan 4-1. Historically, the two nations have met five times at the World Cup, with India holding a 3-2 advantage in wins.
The India-Pakistan match is scheduled for 19 August at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelve. The fixture is set to begin at 15:00 local time, which corresponds to 18:30 in India and 18:00 in Pakistan. The tournament draw also places Pakistan against Wales and England in Pool D, while India faces Wales and England in the same group.
Germany enters the tournament as the defending men’s champions, having won the 2023 edition, while the Netherlands hold the women’s title from 2022. Pakistan remains the most successful men’s team in World Cup history with four titles, won in 1971, 1978, 1982, and 1994. India’s sole World Cup victory came in 1975, a year in which they also defeated Pakistan 2-1 in the final. The competition will conclude with classification matches for places 13 to 16, followed by the bronze medal match and the final.
