FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Schedule: Men’s And Women’s Full Fixtures, Pools And Preview

The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 will take place from August 15 to 30, with Belgium and the Netherlands jointly hosting the men’s and women’s tournaments across Wavre and Amstelveen. Here’s the full schedule, fixtures, pools, and tournament preview

The Indian women's team will be eager to prove a point against China. File

Outlook Sports Desk

Updated on: 13 August 2026 2:15 pm

Summary

Hockey World Cup 2026 runs from August 15 to 30 in Belgium and the Netherlands
India’s men target a second title, while the women face China, England, and South Africa
Germany and Netherlands enter as defending champions, with several top teams challenging for the titles

The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 will bring together the world’s best men’s and women’s teams from August 15 to 30, with Belgium and the Netherlands jointly hosting the tournament across Wavre and Amstelveen.

The competition will feature 32 teams – 16 men’s and 16 women’s sides – with matches being played at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre and the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen.

The defending champions will fight to retain their titles, with Germany holding the current men’s Hockey World Cup crown and the Netherlands entering the tournament as the reigning women’s world champions.

India’s men will begin their campaign against Wales on August 15 and will try to end a 51-year wait for a second Hockey World Cup title, having last lifted the trophy in 1975.

Meanwhile, India’s women face a challenging Pool D featuring England, China, and South Africa as they continue their search for a maiden Hockey World Cup title.

India Men's And Women's FIH World Cup Schedule

Belgium head into the tournament as the world No. 1 men’s team after a dominant FIH Pro League campaign, with Tom Boon and Alexander Hendrickx leading a formidable squad.

The Netherlands men, fresh from their Paris 2024 Olympic gold medal, will be aiming for a first World Cup title since 1998, while England are regarded as one of the strongest challengers outside the traditional favourites.

In the women’s tournament, the Netherlands enter as the team to beat after capturing a fourth consecutive FIH Pro League title. Argentina, Belgium, and China are also expected to be major contenders, with China drawing confidence from its impressive run to the Paris 2024 Olympic final.

India’s men will play Wales, England, and Pakistan in Pool D, with the India-Pakistan clash on August 19 expected to be one of the biggest attractions of the group stage. Harmanpreet Singh, who finished as the top scorer at the Paris Olympics, will lead the Indian challenge.

India’s women will open their campaign against China before taking on South Africa and England in what promises to be a highly competitive Pool D.

The 2026 edition will be played under a new three-phase format. Teams will first play three pool-stage matches, after which the top two sides from each group will advance to a second group phase.

Results against teams already faced in the original pool will be carried forward, and the top two teams from each second-round group will qualify directly for the semi-finals, with the quarter-finals removed from the tournament structure.

Pools

Men’s

Pool A: Argentina, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand
Pool B: Belgium, France, Germany, Malaysia
Pool C: Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa
Pool D: England, India, Pakistan, Wales

Women’s

Pool A: Australia, Chile, Japan, Netherlands
Pool B: Argentina, Germany, Scotland, United States
Pool C: Belgium, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand
Pool D: China, England, India, South Africa