2026 Men's FIH Hockey World Cup
Upcoming field hockey competition
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The 2026 Men's FIH Hockey World Cup will be the 16th edition of the Men's FIH Hockey World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national field hockey teams organized by the International Hockey Federation. It will be held from 14 to 30 August 2026 in Wavre, Belgium and Amstelveen, Netherlands.
Host countriesBelgium
Netherlands
Netherlands
CitiesWavre
Amstelveen
Amstelveen
Dates14–30 August
Teams16 (from 5 confederations)
| Tournament details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Host countries | Belgium Netherlands | ||
| Cities | Wavre Amstelveen | ||
| Dates | 14–30 August | ||
| Teams | 16 (from 5 confederations) | ||
| Venue | 2 (in 2 host cities) | ||
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Belgium and Netherlands were given the hosting rights in November 2022, beating a joint bid from England and Wales as well as a South African bid in the process. This will be the first time the men's event is co-hosted. This also marks Belgium's first and Netherlands' fourth time hosting.
16 teams will participate for the third time after the expansion in 2018. Qualification was an amalgamation of the FIH Pro League, continental championships and the World Cup Qualifiers. Qualification took place in December 2023 to March 2026 to decide the qualifiers.
Germany are the defending champions after defeating the Belgium 5–4 in a shoot-out after the match finished 3–3 in regular time in Bhubaneswar.
Host selection
The International Hockey Federation announced on 15 June 2022 that they received the following five bids for the 2026 World Cup.[1][2]
- London and Northampton, England and Cardiff, Wales (joint bid)[3]
- Germany (bid withdrawn in October 2022 due to economic risk)[4]
- Potchefstroom, South Africa
The following two bids included holding combined men's and women's world cup simultaneously:
- Wavre, Belgium and Amstelveen, Netherlands (joint bid)
- Potchefstroom, South Africa
Wavre, Belgium and Amstelveen, Netherlands were awarded the hosting rights on 3 November 2022.[5]
Teams
Qualification
Just as in 2018 and 2023, 16 teams will compete in the tournament. Alongside hosts, Belgium and Netherlands, the top-ranked team in the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons in the FIH Pro League and the five continental champions receive an automatic berth. Then 16 teams from all over the five continents competed for the last seven places at the World Cup Qualifiers.[6] Out of them England, Pakistan and Japan being the top three teams at the qualifier held at Ismailia qualified for the World Cup tournament. On the other hand, Malaysia qualified on the basis of their world ranking.[7] At the qualifier held at Santiago, three teams namely, Ireland, France and Wales got first three positions locking their places in the Men's World Cup hockey tournament.[8]
Qualified
Qualified as hosts
Team whose qualification status has yet to be decided
| Dates | Event | Location | Quotas | Qualifier(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 November 2022 | Hosts | N/a | 2 |  Belgium Netherlands |
| 6 December 2023 – 30 June 2024 | 2023–24 FIH Pro League | N/a | 1 |  Australia |
| 30 November 2024 – 29 June 2025 | 2024–25 FIH Pro League | N/a | 1 |  Spain |
| 24 July – 3 August 2025 | 2025 Pan American Cup |  Montevideo |
1 |  Argentina |
| 8–16 August 2025 | 2025 EuroHockey Championship |  Mönchengladbach |
1 | Germany |
| 29 August – 7 September 2025 | 2025 Asia Cup |  Rajgir |
1 | India |
| 4–7 September 2025 | 2025 Oceania Cup | Darwin |
1 |  New Zealand |
| 11–18 October 2025 | 2025 Africa Cup of Nations |  Ismailia |
1 |  South Africa |
| 1–7 March 2026 | 2026 World Cup Qualifiers | Ismailia |
4 |  England Japan Malaysia Pakistan |
| 1–8 March 2026 |  Santiago |
3 |  France Ireland Wales | |
| Total | 16 | |||
Summary of qualified teams
| Team | Qualification method | Date of qualification | Appearance(s) | Previous best performance[A] | WR[B] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | First | Last | Streak | |||||
| Belgium |
Co-hosts | 3 November 2022 | 8th | 1973 | 2023 | 4 | Champions (2018) | TBD |
| Netherlands |
16th | 1971 | 16 | Champions (1973, 1990, 1998) | TBD | |||
| Australia |
2023–24 FIH Pro League | 23 June 2024 | 15th | 14 | Champions (1986, 2010, 2014) | TBD | ||
| Spain |
2024–25 FIH Pro League | 29 June 2025 | 16th | 16 | Runners-up (1971, 1998) | TBD | ||
| Argentina |
2025 Pan American Cup | 3 August 2025 | 15th | 7 | Third place (2014) | TBD | ||
| Germany |
2025 EuroHockey Championship | 14 August 2025 | 16th | 16 | Champions (2002, 2006, 2023) | TBD | ||
| India |
2025 Asia Cup | 7 September 2025 | 16th | 16 | Champions (1975) | TBD | ||
| New Zealand |
2025 Oceania Cup | 12th | 8 | Seventh place (1973, 1975, 1982, 2014, 2023) | TBD | |||
| South Africa |
2025 Africa Cup of Nations | 18 October 2025 | 8th | 1994 | 7 | Tenth place (1994, 2010) | TBD | |
| England |
2026 World Cup Qualifiers | 6 March 2026 | 15th | 1973 | 15 | Runners-up (1986) | TBD | |
| Pakistan |
14th | 1971 | 2018 | 1 | Champions (1971, 1978, 1982, 1994) | TBD | ||
| France |
5th | 1971 | 2023 | 3 | Seventh place (1971, 1990) | TBD | ||
| Ireland |
4th | 1978 | 2018 | 1 | Twelfth place (1978, 1990) | TBD | ||
| Japan |
7 March 2026 | 6th | 1971 | 2023 | 2 | Ninth place (1971, 2006) | TBD | |
| Malaysia |
10th | 1973 | 4 | Fourth place (1975) | TBD | |||
| Wales |
8 March 2026 | 2nd | 2023 | 2 | Eleventh place (2023) | TBD | ||
Venues
Following is a list of all venues and host cities across the Netherlands and Belgium.
| Netherlands | Belgium | |
|---|---|---|
| Wagener Stadium | Stade Justin Peeters | |
| Capacity: 15,000 | Capacity: 10,000 | |
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Draw
First round
The hosts schedule was published on 30 September 2025.[11] The match schedule was revealed on 18 March 2026.[12]
All times are local (UTC+2).
Pool A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands (H) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Second round |
| 2 | Argentina |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | New Zealand |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9th–16th classification |
| 4 | Japan |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match(es) will be played: 16 August 2026. Source: FIH
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) matches won; 3) goal difference; 4) goals for; 5) head-to-head result; 6) field goals scored.
(H) Hosts
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) matches won; 3) goal difference; 4) goals for; 5) head-to-head result; 6) field goals scored.
(H) Hosts
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Pool B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium (H) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Second round |
| 2 | Germany |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | France |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9th–16th classification |
| 4 | Malaysia |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match(es) will be played: 15 August 2026. Source: FIH
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) matches won; 3) goal difference; 4) goals for; 5) head-to-head result; 6) field goals scored.
(H) Hosts
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) matches won; 3) goal difference; 4) goals for; 5) head-to-head result; 6) field goals scored.
(H) Hosts
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Pool C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Second round |
| 2 | Spain |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Ireland |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9th–16th classification |
| 4 | South Africa |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match(es) will be played: 16 August 2026. Source: FIH
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) matches won; 3) goal difference; 4) goals for; 5) head-to-head result; 6) field goals scored.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) matches won; 3) goal difference; 4) goals for; 5) head-to-head result; 6) field goals scored.
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Pool D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Second round |
| 2 | India |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Pakistan |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9th–16th classification |
| 4 | Wales |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match(es) will be played: 15 August 2026. Source: FIH
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) matches won; 3) goal difference; 4) goals for; 5) head-to-head result; 6) field goals scored.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) matches won; 3) goal difference; 4) goals for; 5) head-to-head result; 6) field goals scored.
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Second round
Pool E
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Semifinals |
| 2 | E2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | E3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5th–8th classification |
| 4 | E4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match(es) will be played: 22 August 2026. Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) matches won; 3) goal difference; 4) goals for; 5) head-to-head result; 6) field goals scored.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) matches won; 3) goal difference; 4) goals for; 5) head-to-head result; 6) field goals scored.
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Pool F
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Semifinals |
| 2 | F2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | F3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5th–8th classification |
| 4 | F4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match(es) will be played: 21 August 2026. Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) matches won; 3) goal difference; 4) goals for; 5) head-to-head result; 6) field goals scored.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) matches won; 3) goal difference; 4) goals for; 5) head-to-head result; 6) field goals scored.
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Classification round
Pool G
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | G2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | G3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | G4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match(es) will be played: 22 August 2026. Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) matches won; 3) goal difference; 4) goals for; 5) head-to-head result; 6) field goals scored.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) matches won; 3) goal difference; 4) goals for; 5) head-to-head result; 6) field goals scored.
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Pool H
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | H1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | H2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | H3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | H4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match(es) will be played: 21 August 2026. Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) matches won; 3) goal difference; 4) goals for; 5) head-to-head result; 6) field goals scored.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) matches won; 3) goal difference; 4) goals for; 5) head-to-head result; 6) field goals scored.
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15th place match
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13th place match
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Eleventh place match
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Ninth place match
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Seventh place match
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Fifth place match
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First to fourth place classification
Bracket
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 28 August | ||||||
| E1 | ||||||
| 30 August | ||||||
| F2 | ||||||
| Winner SF1 | ||||||
| 28 August | ||||||
| Winner SF2 | ||||||
| F1 | ||||||
| E2 | ||||||
| Third place | ||||||
| 30 August | ||||||
| Loser SF1 | ||||||
| Loser SF2 | ||||||
Semifinals
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Third place match
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Final
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