The groups for the 2026 Hockey Men’s World Cup were announced on Tuesday by the International Hockey Federation (FIH), ahead of the tournament in Belgium and the Netherlands from August 15 to 30.
According to the FIH, the pools of the upcoming extravaganza were unveiled during the official draw ceremony, held here at the Wagener Stadium, and attended by IH President Tayyab Ikram, FIH Vice President and EuroHockey President Marcos Hofman, head coaches and captains of the Dutch and Belgian teams and several other key figures.
This year’s mega event will feature 16 teams, including four-time champions Pakistan, divided into four groups of four.
Pool A consists of co-hosts from the Netherlands, Japan, Argentina and New Zealand, while another co-host from Belgium and defending champion Germany, along with France and Malaysia, form Pool B.
Australia, Spain, Ireland and South Africa are included in Pool C, while Pool D includes Pakistan, their arch-rivals India, along with England and Wales.
Under the tournament’s competitive format, the top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the next stage, where the eight qualified teams will be further divided into two groups of four.
The top two teams from Pools A and D form Pool E, while Pool F contains the top two teams from Pools B and C.
Following the conclusion of the second phase, the top two teams from each pool will advance to the semi-finals, with the winners meeting in the final, which will be played on August 30 at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre, Belgium.
It is pertinent to mention that the full fixture list for the 2026 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup will be announced in due course.
Pools for 2026 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup
- Group A: The Netherlands, Argentina, Japan and New Zealand.
- Group B: Belgium, Germany, France and Malaysia.
- Group C: Australia, Spain, Ireland and South Africa.
- Group D: Pakistan, India, England and Wales.
