Pakistan men's national field hockey team
Men's national field hockey team representing Pakistan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Pakistan men's national field hockey team (Urdu: پاکستان قومى ہاكى ٹیم)[4] represents Pakistan in international field hockey. Having played its first match in 1948, it is administered by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), the governing body for hockey in Pakistan. It has been a member of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) since 1948 and was founding member of the Asian Hockey Federation (ASHF), which was formed in 1958.[5] Pakistan is one of the most successful national field hockey teams in the world, with three gold medals in Olympic field hockey (in 1960, 1968, and 1984) and a record four Hockey World Cup titles (in 1971, 1978, 1982, and 1994).
- Green Shirts
- Green Machines
Since 1948, the Pakistan national team has played in every Olympic Games except the 1980 Games and the last three editions. They have also played in every FIH World Cup except the 2014 and 2023 editions. The Green Shirts are the most successful national team in the Asian Games, with eight gold medals: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1990, and 2010, and the only Asian team to have won the Champions Trophy thrice: 1978, 1980 and 1994. Pakistan also won the first three Hockey Asia Cups in 1982, 1985, and 1989. In total, Pakistan has won 30 official international titles.
Field hockey is the national sport of the country.[6][7] Former captain Sohail Abbas has scored the second-most international goals in the history of international field hockey.[8] Waseem Ahmed is the most-capped player for the team, having played 410 times between 1996 and 2013.[9]
Pakistan is known for its fierce field hockey rivalry with India, with the two teams having played each other in eight Asian Games finals. In total, they have faced each other in fifteen major tournament finals, of which Pakistan has won nine. Pakistan's other notable competitive rivalries are with Netherlands and Australia.
Pakistan's home ground is National Hockey Stadium in Lahore. The current team's head coach is Khawaja Junaid and the team manager is Farrukh Atiq Khan.[10]
History
Early history and rising team (1948–1957)
Originally, the game had been brought by British servicemen to British India, and like cricket it soon became a popular sport with the local population. Following the independence of Pakistan in 1947, soon after the Pakistan Hockey Federation came into being in 1948. Prior to the partition of India, players playing for Pakistan competed for the Indian side. The Federation soon established and organized the Provincial Hockey/Sports Associations of West Punjab, East Bengal, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Bahawalpur & Services Sports Board.
Despite the limited resources available on 2 August 1948, Pakistan national team, led by Ali Iqtidar Shah Dara, officially went on to play their first international game against Belgium winning the game 2–1 at the 1948 London Olympics. Pakistan remained unbeaten during the group stage, defeating the Netherlands, Denmark and France, but ended up placing fourth overall. During the group stages Pakistan defeat of Netherlands by 6–1 was the highlight for the team.[11]
At the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Pakistan lost to Netherlands and Great Britain to again finish fourth at the event. Pakistan won their first Olympic medal in 1956 at Melbourne when they reached the final but lost to India 1–0 to earn a silver medal, first podium finish this was also Pakistan's first medal at the Olympics.
The Golden Era (1958–1984)
Field hockey was included in the Asian Games for the first time in 1958 at Tokyo. Pakistan were drawn against Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and archrivals India. They beat Japan 5–0 in their first match, then followed two consecutive victories over South Korea (8–0) and Malaysia (6–0). In the last match Pakistan drew 0–0 with India finishing top of the table in the round-robin format and clinched its first gold medal in an international competition.[12]
In 1960 Rome Olympics where Pakistan played against in a group with Australia, Poland and Japan, winning all the matches. Pakistan then played the quarter-final round with Germany, winning the match 2–1 and advanced to the semi-final round where they defeated Spain. Pakistan eventually won the gold medal, defeating India 1–0 with a goal by Naseer Bunda in the final round held at the Olympic Velodrome and ended India's run of six successive gold medals at the Summer Olympic Games.[13]
In the 1962 Asian Games, Pakistan earned its second gold medal with Chaudhry Ghulam Rasool[14] as the captain leading the team to another successive award.[15] However, during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics the national team ended up as runners-up for the second time after losing 1–0 to India in the final as well as finishing runners-up in the 1966 Asian Games held in Bangkok, Thailand. Pakistan won its second Olympic Games gold medal in Mexico at the 1968 Summer Olympics.[16] It fielded what has since then often been considered the best hockey squad ever led by captain Tariq Aziz with Saeed Anwar, Khalid Mahmood, Gulraiz Akhtar and Tariq Niazi. Even though Rasool had retired, this team was still a force to be reckoned with. They won all six of their games—against Kenya, Great Britain, Malaysia, Australia, France and the Netherlands during group play, and against West Germany in the knockout round. Pakistan made the final for the fourth straight Olympics, and won the gold medal, as they had in 1960, this time by defeating Australia, 2–1 with goals from Muhammad Asad Malik and Abdul Rashid. Rashid was the top scorer for Pakistan with seven goals; Tanvir Dar finished with six goals.
In the group stage of the 1970 Asian Games, Pakistan was competing with tournament hosts Thailand and contenders Japan for top spot and a place in the finals. In their first match of the group, Pakistan scored thrice against Japan to clinch their first win, followed by defeating Hong Kong 10–0 to go to the top of the group. The team then drew 0–0 with Thailand and progressed to the knock-out round, where they won 5–0 over Malaysia. In the final, Pakistan faced India, winning 1–0 and sealing their third Asian Games gold medal.
In 1971, the first-ever Hockey World Cup was to be hosted by Pakistan. However, political issues would prevent that first competition from being played in Pakistan. The FIH had inadvertently scheduled the first World Cup to be played in Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War. Furthermore, Pakistan and India had been at war with each other only six years earlier. When Pakistan invited India to compete in the tournament, a crisis arose. Pakistanis, led by cricketer Abdul Hafeez Kardar, protested against India's participation in the Hockey World Cup. Given the intense political climate between Pakistan and India, the FIH decided to move the tournament elsewhere. In March 1971, coincidentally in the same month Bangladesh declared independence from Pakistan, the FIH decided to move the first Hockey World Cup to the Real Club de Polo grounds in Barcelona, Spain, which was considered a neutral and peaceful European site.[17]
The Pakistani team was drawn in a group with hosts Spain, Australia, Japan and the Netherlands. The group was topped by Spain and Pakistan respectively, and both the teams advanced into the semi-finals. In the first semi-final of the tournament Pakistan ousted India 2–1 in a tense and closely contested game and in the second semi-final Spain played safe and defeated a spirited Kenya 1–0 to enter the finals against Pakistan. In the final Pakistan scored early but then strengthened its defense to hold out for a 1–0 victory and win the first hockey World Cup, retaining its number one position in the world hockey rankings, closely followed by India and the Netherlands. Tanvir Dar finished as the top goal scorer at the tournament with eight goals. The 1972 Munich Olympics, Pakistan lost the final to hosts West Germany losing the game 1–0 with a goal by Michael Krause and finished at fourth place, the following year, in the 1973 Hockey World Cup. The national team made a comeback in the international competition, by winning and retaining their title at the 1974 Asian Games but lost to their rivals India in the finals of the third hockey World Cup in 1975. 1976 Montreal Olympics saw the team secure their first bronze medal in the competition.
The year 1978 saw Pakistan national team win three major international tournaments: the third Hockey World Cup held at Buenos Aires, Argentina along with 1978 Asian Games[18] and the first Champions Trophy. This was the first time a national team won three major titles in the history of international field hockey. In 1980, Pakistan Olympic Association, along with 65 countries, boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.[19] This resulted in Pakistan hockey team not participating at the field hockey competition at the tournament. Pakistan hosted the 1980 and 1981 Champions Trophy tournaments, winning the title against West Germany in the final round in 1980 and finishing at fourth position[20] a year later, held at the Hockey Club of Pakistan, Karachi. In the 1980s Pakistan won every international tournament it participated in including the 1982 World Cup in Mumbai and the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles where Pakistan won the gold medal defeating West Germany in the final. Pakistan also won the Asian Games and Asia Cup consecutively in this period.
Last years of prominence (1985–1994)
At the 1986 World Cup in London, Pakistan performed poorly, where they won just one pool game and finished second last at 11th place. Pakistan first finished runner-up at the 1990 World Cup at home in Lahore after losing the final to Netherlands and won a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. The most glorious highlight of the decade came in 1994 when Pakistan first won the 1994 Champions Trophy at home ground, their first title in the competition after 14 years.
Decline (1995–Present)
Following a sixth place finish at the 1996 Atlanta games, the first major competition for Pakistan was the 1998 Hockey World Cup in Utrecht Pakistan finished 5th at the tournament. The following year Pakistan won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup for the first time in 1999. Pakistan finished fourth at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney after losing the bronze medal match to Australia. This was the last time Pakistan played for a medal at the Olympics. Pakistan finished 5th at 2002 World Cup and Kuala Lumpur and won bronze medal at the Champions Trophy the same year. At the 2002 Asian Games Pakistan finished fourth, the first time the team didn't won a medal at the competition. In 2003 Pakistan lost the Hockey Asia Cup final to India and in 2004 Pakistan had a busy schedule where they played in many tournaments in lead up to the Olympics but Pakistan finished 5th at the 2004 Athens Olympics later in December Pakistan finished third at the 2004 Champions Trophy in Lahore, the third consecutive bronze medal. In 2005 Pakistan had a highlight when they defeated Olympic champion Australia to win the 2005 Hockey RaboTrophy in Netherlands. Pakistan finished 6th the 2006 World Cup and failed even to progress from the pool stages of the 2007 Asia Cup.[citation needed]
The 2008 Beijing Olympics proved to be the worst performance of the team at the event where they finished 8th.[21] The year 2010 started with another record worst performance at the 2010 World Cup in New Delhi where the team finished last at 12th place but later in the same year Pakistan had a major success by winning the gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games in China.[22] In 2011 Pakistan played in many minor tournaments in lead up to the 2012 Olympics where they finished 7th. Later in the year 2012 Pakistan won bronze medal at the 2012 Champions Trophy in Melbourne after upsetting tournaments favorites like Germany. The Pakistani national team most successful tournament, in this period, was the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy winning the trophy first in 2012 against India and finishing as runners-up in the first edition of Asian Hockey Champions Trophy in 2011. During this period despite not any major team honor won the Pakistan team had world renowned individual players in world hockey in the likes of Sohail Abbas who remained top scorer at the 2002 World Cup and 2004 Olympics, he later broke the record of highest goalscorer in international hockey with a total of 348 goals and Rehan Butt who was twice voted as the Best Asian Player by Asian Hockey Federation, Shakeel Abbasi, Salman Akbar and Muhammad Saqlain.
Pakistan, after having failed to get a direct entrance for the 2014 World Cup, were handed a last chance to qualify for the event by winning the 2013 Asia Cup, but they finished third and failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in their history.[23] Pakistan failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time at Rio 2016 after failing a qualification berth at the 2014–15 FIH Hockey World League. From 2016 to 2017, Pakistan performed poorly in different competitions even featuring a record 9–1 defeat against Australia in 2017. In 2018, Roelant Oltmans of Netherlands was brought in as coach and the team showed some improvement, but still performed poorly at the 2018 World Cup, failing to win a single match. Pakistan again failed to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, losing the Olympic Qualifiers against Netherlands over a two-legged tie in 2019.[citation needed]
PHF announced Pakistan's participation for the 2021 Asian Champions Trophy, the team's first appearance in an international competition after a gap of two years. A 20-man squad was announced with Siegfried Aikman as head coach prior to the tournament.[24] Pakistan could not qualify for the 2023 World Cup despite it being a 16-team event.[25] Pakistan participated in the 2022 Common wealth games where Pakistan performed poorly and finished 7th, In December 2022 Pakistan participated in 2022 Nations cup were Pakistan finished 7th, In July 2023 Shahnaz Sheikh was appointed as the head coach for the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy, In August 2023 PHF announced 36-man squad for Asian Games 2023, In the Asian Games 2023 Pakistan lost to India 10–2, which was the Biggest defeat in their history, Pakistan finished 5th. Pakistan also failed to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
In July 2025, Pakistan's under-18 team suffered a 3–0 defeat to Japan in the final of the Men's U-18 Asia Cup, held at the National Hockey Training Centre. Despite early aggression and multiple penalty corners, Pakistan failed to convert key chances. The loss underscored the systemic decline in the sport, widely attributed to chronic government neglect, lack of investment in grassroots development, and poor institutional support. Critics argue that such defeats are symptomatic of a broader national apathy toward sports excellence.[26]
Pakistan received an invitation from FIH to compete in the 2025–26 FIH Pro League, thereby qualifying for the tournament.[27]
Logo and stadium
The motif of the Pakistan national field hockey team has a star and crescent on a dark green field; with a vertical white stripe at the hoist, usually in green, white color, as represented in the flag of Pakistan.[citation needed]
Pakistan played at a number of different venues across the country, though by 1978, this had largely settled down to having National Hockey Stadium (also known as Gaddafi Hockey Stadium, named after former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi) in Lahore as the primary venue, with Faisalabad Hockey Stadium and the Hockey Club of Pakistan used on occasions where the National Hockey Stadium was unavailable for home matches. The stadium is considered to be the largest international field hockey stadium in the world, and holds a capacity of 45,000 spectators.[28]
The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has its headquarters at the stadium. Pakistan has hosted many international matches and competitions such as the Hockey Asia Cup of 1982 and Champions Trophy tournament in 1978, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, and 2004 along with the 1990 Hockey World Cup, where Pakistan lost 3–1 to the Netherlands in the final.[29]
Honors and recognition
Since its breakthrough in the 1948 Summer Olympics, Pakistan has won more than 20 official titles, which are detailed below:
- Summer Olympics:
- Gold medal: 1960 Rome, 1968 Mexico City, 1984 Los Angeles
- Silver medal: 1956 Melbourne, 1964 Tokyo, 1972 Munich
- Bronze medal: 1976 Montreal, 1992 Barcelona
- World Cup:
- Champions Trophy:
- Sultan Azlan Shah Cup:
- Asian Champions Trophy:
- Asia Cup:
- Asian Games:
- Commonwealth Games:
- South Asian Games:
- Afro-Asian Games:
- Silver medal: 2003
- Hockey Champions Challenge:
- FIH Hockey Nations Cup:
- Silver medal: 2025
Competitive record
Team performance
TBD (to be determined), DNQ (did not qualify), DNP (did not participate)
| Summer Olympics[31] | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host city | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1948 |  London, United Kingdom |
4th | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 6 |
| 1952 |  Helsinki, Finland |
4th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 3 |
| 1956 |  Melbourne, Australia |
2nd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 |
| 1960 |  Rome, Italy |
1st | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 1 |
| 1964 |  Tokyo, Japan |
2nd | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 4 |
| 1968 |  Mexico City, Mexico |
1st | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 6 |
| 1972 |  Munich, West Germany |
2nd | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 7 |
| 1976 |  Montreal, Canada |
3rd | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 10 |
| 1980 |  Moscow, Soviet Union |
DNP | ||||||
| 1984 |  Los Angeles, United States |
1st | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 8 |
| 1988 |  Seoul, South Korea |
5th | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 9 |
| 1992 |  Barcelona, Spain |
3rd | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 11 |
| 1996 | Atlanta, United States |
6th | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 12 |
| 2000 | Sydney, Australia |
4th | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 13 |
| 2004 |  Athens, Greece |
5th | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 10 |
| 2008 |  Beijing, China |
8th | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 17 |
| 2012 | London, United Kingdom |
7th | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 2016 |  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
DNQ | ||||||
| 2020 | Tokyo, Japan | |||||||
| 2024 |  Paris, France | |||||||
| 2028 | Los Angeles, United States |
TBD | ||||||
| Total | 1st | 106 | 70 | 11 | 25 | 293 | 139 | |
Summer Olympics Qualifiers
| Summer Olympics Qualifiers | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Position | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 2000 | Osaka, Japan | Runners-up | Qualified to 2000 Summer Olympics | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 13 |
| 2004 | Madrid, Spain | 3rd | Qualified to 2004 Summer Olympics | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 11 |
| 2019 |  Amstelveen, Netherlands | – | Failed to Qualify to 2020 Summer Olympics | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 10 |
| 2024 |  Muscat, Oman | 4th | Failed to Qualify to 2024 Summer Olympics | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 16 |
| Total | Runners-up | 21 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 51 | 50 | ||
| World Cup[32][33] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Host city | Position |
| 1971 | Barcelona, Spain |
1st |
| 1973 | Amstelveen, Netherlands |
4th |
| 1975 |  Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
2nd |
| 1978 |  Buenos Aires, Argentina |
1st |
| 1982 |  Mumbai, India |
1st |
| 1986 |  London, England |
11th |
| 1990 |  Lahore, Pakistan |
2nd |
| 1994 | Sydney, Australia |
1st |
| 1998 | Utrecht, Netherlands |
5th |
| 2002 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
5th |
| 2006 | Mönchengladbach, Germany |
6th |
| 2010 | New Delhi, India |
12th |
| 2014 | The Hague, Netherlands |
DNQ |
| 2018 | Bhubaneswar, India |
12th |
| 2023 | Bhubaneswar, India |
DNQ |
| 2026 |  Wavre, Belgium/ Amstelveen, Netherlands |
Qualified |
World Cup Qualifiers
| World Cup Qualifiers | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Position | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 2006 | Changzhou, China | 4th | Qualified to 2006 World Cup | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 12 |
| 2009 | Lille, France | Champions | Qualified to 2010 World Cup | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 7 |
| 2026 |  Ismailia, Egypt | Runners-up | Qualified to 2026 World Cup | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 16 |
| Total | 1 Title | 18 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 56 | 35 | ||
| Champions Trophy[34] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Host city | Position |
| 1978 | Lahore, Pakistan |
1st |
| 1980 | Karachi, Pakistan |
1st |
| 1981 | Karachi, Pakistan |
4th |
| 1982 | Amstelveen, Netherlands |
4th |
| 1983 | Karachi, Pakistan |
2nd |
| 1984 | Karachi, Pakistan |
2nd |
| 1985 | Perth, Australia |
4th |
| 1986 | Karachi, Pakistan |
3rd |
| 1987 | Amstelveen, Netherlands |
7th |
| 1988 | Karachi, Pakistan |
2nd |
| 1989 | Berlin, West Germany |
4th |
| 1990 | Melbourne, Australia |
4th |
| 1991 | Berlin, Germany |
2nd |
| 1992 | Karachi, Pakistan |
4th |
| 1993 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
4th |
| 1994 | Lahore, Pakistan |
1st |
| 1995 | Berlin, Germany |
3rd |
| 1996 | Madras, India |
2nd |
| 1997 | Adelaide, Australia |
5th |
| 1998 | Lahore, Pakistan |
2nd |
| 1999 | Brisbane, Australia |
6th |
| 2000 | Amstelveen, Netherlands |
DNP |
| 2001 | Rotterdam, Netherlands |
4th |
| 2002 | Cologne, Germany |
3rd |
| 2003 | Amstelveen, Netherlands |
3rd |
| 2004 | Lahore, Pakistan |
3rd |
| 2005 | Chennai, India |
5th |
| 2006 | Terrassa, Spain |
5th |
| 2007 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
7th |
| 2008 | Rotterdam, Netherlands |
DNP |
| 2009 | Melbourne, Australia |
DNP |
| 2010 | Mönchengladbach, Germany |
DNP |
| 2011 |  Auckland, New Zealand |
7th |
| 2012 | Melbourne, Australia |
3rd |
| 2014 | Bhubaneswar, India |
2nd |
| 2016 | London, England |
DNP |
| 2018 | Breda, Netherlands |
6th |
| Sultan Azlan Shah Cup | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Host city | Position |
| 1983 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
2nd |
| 1985 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
3rd |
| 1987 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
2nd |
| 1991 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
2nd |
| 1994 | Penang, Malaysia |
2nd |
| 1995 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
DNP |
| 1996 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
DNP |
| 1998 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
1st |
| 1999 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
DNP |
| 2000 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
1st |
| 2001 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
4th |
| 2003 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
1st |
| 2004 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
2nd |
| 2005 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
3rd |
| 2006 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
5th |
| 2007 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
6th |
| 2008 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
4th |
| 2009 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
4th |
| 2010 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
5th |
| 2011 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
2nd |
| 2012 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
7th |
| 2013 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
6th |
| 2014 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
2nd |
| 2015 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
DNP |
| 2016 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
5th |
| 2017 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
DNP |
| 2018 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
DNP |
| 2019 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
DNP |
| 2022 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
3rd |
| 2024 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
2nd |
| 2025 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
DNP |
| Asia Cup | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Host city | Position |
| 1982 | Karachi, Pakistan |
1st |
| 1985 |  Dhaka, Bangladesh |
1st |
| 1989 | New Delhi, India |
1st |
| 1994 | Hiroshima, Japan |
3rd |
| 1999 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
2nd |
| 2003 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
2nd |
| 2007 | Chennai, India |
6th |
| 2009 | Kuantan, Malaysia |
2nd |
| 2013 | Ipoh, Malaysia |
3rd |
| 2017 | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
3rd |
| 2022 |  Jakarta, Indonesia |
5th |
| 2025 | Rajgir, India |
DNP |
| Asian Games | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Host city | Position |
| 1958 | Tokyo, Japan |
1st |
| 1962 | Jakarta, Indonesia |
1st |
| 1966 |  Bangkok, Thailand |
2nd |
| 1970 | Bangkok, Thailand |
1st |
| 1974 |  Tehran, Iran |
1st |
| 1978 | Bangkok, Thailand |
1st |
| 1982 | New Delhi, India |
1st |
| 1986 | Seongnam, South Korea |
2nd |
| 1990 | Beijing, China |
1st |
| 1994 | Hiroshima, Japan |
3rd |
| 1998 | Bangkok, Thailand |
3rd |
| 2002 | Busan, South Korea |
4th |
| 2006 |  Doha, Qatar |
3rd |
| 2010 | Guangzhou, China |
1st |
| 2014 | Incheon, South Korea |
2nd |
| 2018 | Jakarta-Palembang, Indonesia |
4th |
| 2022 | Hangzhou-China |
5th |
| Commonwealth Games | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Host city | Position |
| 1998 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
10th |
| 2002 | Manchester, England |
3rd |
| 2006 | Melbourne, Australia |
2nd |
| 2010 | New Delhi, India |
6th |
| 2014 |  Glasgow, Scotland |
DNP |
| 2018 | Gold Coast, Australia |
7th |
| 2022 | Birmingham, England |
7th |
Pro League
| Nations Cup | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host city | Position | |
| 2022 |  Potchefstroom, South Africa |
7th | |
| 2023–24 |  Gniezno, Poland |
4th | |
| 2024–25 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
2nd | |
| 2026–27 | TBD | ||
| Hockey World League | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 2012–13 | Johor Bahru, Malaysia | Semifinals | 7th place | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 17 |
| 2014–15 | Antwerp, Belgium | Semifinals | 8th place | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 16 |
| 2016–17 | London, England | Semifinals | 7th place | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 28 |
| Total | 20 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 40 | 61 | |||
| Champions Challenge | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Host city | Position |
| 2009 | Salta, Argentina |
2nd |
| Afro-Asian Games | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Host city | Position |
| 2003 | Hyderabad, India |
2nd |
Records
As of 27 October 2019
Players in bold text are still active with Pakistan.
Top goal scorers
| Rank | Player | Goals | Matches | Career | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sohail Abbas | 348 | 311 | 1998–2012 | [35] |
| 2 | Hassan Sardar | 150 | 148 | 1979–1987 | [36] |
| 3 | Tahir Zaman | 134 | 252 | 1987–1998 | [36] |
| 4 | Kamran Ashraf | 129 | 166 | 1993–2002 | [36] |
| 5 | Hanif Khan | 127 | 177 | 1976–1985 | [36] |
| 6 | Rehan Butt | 110 | 274 | 2002–2012 | [?] |
| 7 | Muhammad Imran | 106 | 289 | 2004–2015 | [?] |
| 8 | Shakeel Abbasi | 103 | 309 | 2003–2014 | [37] |
| 9 | Manzoor-ul-Hassan | 101 | 154 | 1972–1982 | [36] |
| 10 | Shahbaz Ahmed | 101 | 304 | 1986–2002 | [36] |
Most-capped players
| Rank | Player | Matches | Goals | Career | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waseem Ahmed | 410 | 10 | 1996–2013 | [38] |
| 2 | Sohail Abbas | 311 | 348 | 1998–2012 | [?] |
| 3 | Shakeel Abbasi | 309 | 103 | 2003–2014 | [37] |
| 4 | Shahbaz Ahmed | 304 | 101 | 1986–2002 | [36] |
| 5 | Muhammad Imran | 289 | 106 | 2004–2015 | [?] |
| 6 | Rehan Butt | 274 | 110 | 2002–2012 | [?] |
| 7 | Tahir Zaman | 252 | 134 | 1987–1998 | [36] |
| 8 | Mansoor Ahmed | 238 | 0 | 1986–1997 | [36] |
| 9 | Zeeshan Ashraf | 235 | 3 | 2001–2010 | [?] |
| 10 | Muhammad Saqlain | 233 | 32 | 1999–2009 | [?] |
| 11 | Muhammed Umar Bhutta | 204 | 57 | 2009–present | [39][40] |
Players
Coaching Staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Herman Kruis |
| Coaching Advisor | Herman Kruis |
| Assistant Coach | Khawaja Junaid |
| Fitness and High-Performance Coach | David Dwyer |
| Junior Talent Identification Coach | Adnan Zakir |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Bob Johan Veldhof |
| Sports Psychologist | Chris Bowen |
Current players
The following 18 players were named in the squad for the 2024 Men's Asian Champions Trophy in Hulunbuir.[41]
Caps and goals current as of 9 June 2024, following the match against South Africa.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Abdullah Ishtiaq | 21 May 2000 | 31 | 0 | Mari Petroleum |
| 56 | GK | Muneeb Ur-Rehman | 7 December 1997 | 3 | 0 | SSGC |
| 5 | DF | Sufyan Khan | 13 March 2004 | 41 | 20 | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| 16 | DF | Ammad Butt (Captain) | 13 January 1996 | 157 | 13 | NBP |
| 17 | DF | Muhammad Hammadudin | 12 December 2000 | 18 | 0 | WAPDA |
| 27 | DF | Abu Mahmood | 10 February 1998 | 87 | 30 | Bayside Cougars |
| 20 | DF | Faisal Qadir | 17 October 1992 | 86 | 0 | WAPDA |
| 4 | MF | Rooman | 31 March 2001 | 30 | 6 | WAPDA |
| 7 | MF | Moin Shakeel | 8 June 2000 | 38 | 3 | WAPDA |
| 10 | MF | Zikriya Hayat | 4 May 2004 | 28 | 1 | Pakistan Navy |
| 11 | MF | Arshad Liaqat | 27 March 2002 | 41 | 9 | Mari Petroleum |
| 14 | MF | Ahmad Nadeem | 8 March 1998 | 13 | 2 | Mari Petroleum |
| 15 | MF | Ghazanfar Ali | 27 February 2002 | 38 | 11 | Mari Petroleum |
| 8 | FW | Waheed Ashraf Rana | 4 February 2000 | 61 | 29 | WAPDA |
| 9 | FW | Hannan Shahid | 7 September 2005 | 43 | 18 | WAPDA |
| 18 | FW | Abdul Rehman | 7 February 1999 | 16 | 3 | Pakistan Air Force |
| 23 | FW | Ajaz Ahmad | 13 June 1992 | 100 | 21 | WAPDA |
| 77 | FW | Salman Razzaq | 2 June 1995 | 100 | 1 | WAPDA |
Results and fixtures
2025
All times are (UTC+5).
2025 Asia Play-offs
| 13 November 2025 Asia Play-offs | Bangladesh | 2–8 | Pakistan | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| 13:00 | Hossain  15'Islam 58' |
Report | Butt 4' Nadeem 19', 56'Afraz 24', 30'Ali 32'Rana 44'Shahid 47' |
Stadium: Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium |
| 14 November 2025 Asia Play-offs | Bangladesh | 0–8 | Pakistan | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| 14:00 | Report | Sufyan 6', 19' Rana 13', 57'Rana 30+'Shahid 32'Afraz 53'Butt 19' |
Stadium: Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium |
| 16 November 2025 Asia Play-offs | Bangladesh | 3–10 | Pakistan | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| 13:00 | Abdullah 19' Hasan 44'Islam |
Report | Sufyan 8', 10', 16', 29', 34', 57' Rehman 15', 59'Nadeem 40'Rana 52' 57' |
Stadium: Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium |
2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League
| 10 December 2025 2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League | Netherlands | 5–2 | Pakistan | Santiago del Estero, Argentina |
| 03:00 | Bijen 12' Boers 15', 44'Reyenga 36'Telgenkamp 41' |
Report | Shahid 9' Khan 18' |
Stadium: Santiago del Estero Hockey Club |
| 12 December 2025 2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League | Argentina | 3–2 | Pakistan | Santiago del Estero, Argentina |
| 03:00 | Domene 19' Torre 41'Casella 42' |
Report | Ammad 36' Rana 45+' |
Stadium: Santiago del Estero Hockey Club |
| 13 December 2025 2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League | Pakistan | 3–7 | Netherlands | Santiago del Estero, Argentina |
| 03:00 | Khan 39', 60' Rana 55' |
Report | Dam 17' Brinkman 22', 45'Jansen 23', 51'Boers 52'Croon 59' |
Stadium: Santiago del Estero Hockey Club |
| 15 December 2025 2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League | Argentina | 5–1 | Pakistan | Santiago del Estero, Argentina |
| 03:00 | Torre 7' Capurro 15', 21'Martins 37'Domene 39' |
Report | Rana 34' |
Stadium: Santiago del Estero Hockey Club |
2026
2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League
| 10 February 2026 2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League | Australia | 3–2 | Pakistan | Hobart, Australia |
| 11:30 | Brand 2', 19' Govers 58' |
Report | Nadeem 49' Khan 53' |
Stadium: Tasmanian Hockey Centre |
| 11 February 2026 2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League | Pakistan | 2–5 | Germany | Hobart, Australia |
| 11:30 | Ammad 18' Khan 57' |
Report | Rühr 6' Grambusch 17'Schwarzhaupt 25'Hellwig 41'Hartkopf 42' |
Stadium: Tasmanian Hockey Centre |
| 13 February 2026 2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League | Australia | 3–0 | Pakistan | Hobart, Australia |
| 11:30 | Govers 14', 34' Welch 42' |
Report | Stadium: Tasmanian Hockey Centre |
| 14 February 2026 2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League | Germany | 6–1 | Pakistan | Hobart, Australia |
| 09:30 | Sperling 26' Warweg 28', 36'Ludwig 30'Mertgens 32'Hartkopf 54' |
Report | Rana 18' |
Stadium: Tasmanian Hockey Centre |
2026 Men's FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers
| 01 March 2026 Preliminary round | Pakistan | 5–4 | China | Ismailia, Egypt |
| 18:00 | Khan 8' Rana 20'Ammad 21'Mahmood 35'Waleed 43' |
Report | Du 16', 39' Guan 42'Zhang 49' |
Stadium: Suez Canal Stadium |
| 02 March 2026 Preliminary round | Pakistan | 5–3 | Malaysia | Ismailia, Egypt |
| 16:00 | Rana 13' Hayat 16'Nadeem 45+'Khan 49'Ammad 56' |
Report | Abdu Rauf 12' Anuar 14'Saari 40' |
Stadium: Suez Canal Stadium |
| 04 March 2026 Preliminary round | Austria  | 2–4 | Pakistan | Ismailia, Egypt |
| 16:00 | Kelner 47' Scholz 53' |
Report | Afraz 4' Mahmood 44', 52'Khan 51' |
Stadium: Suez Canal Stadium |
| 06 March 2026 Semi Final | Pakistan | 4–3 | Japan | Ismailia, Egypt |
| 15:30 | Ammad 9' Mahmood 52'Khan 55'Afraz 57' |
Report | Ooka 21' Yamada 35'Yamasaki 41' |
Stadium: Suez Canal Stadium |
| 07 March 2026 Final | England | 4–1 | Pakistan | Ismailia, Egypt |
| 20:00 | Croft 18' Hooper 35', 40'Fox 52' |
Report | Wal. Rana 42' |
Stadium: Suez Canal Stadium |
2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League
| 13 June 2026 2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League | Belgium | 7–1 | Pakistan | Wavre, Belgium |
| 18:30 | Onana 3' Stockbroekx 38'Hendrickx 42'Biekens 50', 55'Hellin 51'Boon 55' |
Report | Rana 33' |
Stadium: Stade Justin Peeters |
| 14 June 2026 2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League | Pakistan | 1–5 | Spain | Wavre, Belgium |
| 18:30 | Mahmood 43' |
Report | Álvarez 11', 52' Cunill 23', 30'Reyne 48' |
Stadium: Stade Justin Peeters |
| 19 June 2026 2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League | Belgium | 6–0 | Pakistan | Wavre, Belgium |
| 00:00 | de Kerpel 1' Boon 17', 23', 46'Foubert 41'Labouchere 50' |
Report | Stadium: Stade Justin Peeters |
| 20 June 2026 2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League | Spain | 4–2 | Pakistan | Wavre, Belgium |
| 18:30 | Cunill 29' Alonso 35'Álvarez 43', 51' |
Report | Mahmood 28', 44' |
Stadium: Stade Justin Peeters |
| 23 June 2026 2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League | Pakistan | 3–4 | India | London, United Kingdom |
| 18:30 | Nadeem 8' Mahmood 53'Shakeel 60+' |
Report | Abhishek 22' Nilakanta 24'Sukhjeet 40'Rajinder 52' |
Stadium: Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre |
| 24 June 2026 2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League | England | 2–1 | Pakistan | London, United Kingdom |
| 17:30 | Roper 40' Hooper 46' |
Report | Rana 27' |
Stadium: Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre |
| 26 June 2026 2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League | India | 7–1 | Pakistan | London, United Kingdom |
| 22:00 | Sukhjeet 20' Harmanpreet 26'Hardik 34'Jugraj 35'Abhishek 41'Pal 44'Dilpreet 54' |
Report | Mahmood 13' |
Stadium: Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre |
| 27 June 2026 2025–26 Men's FIH Pro League | England | 7–0 | Pakistan | London, United Kingdom |
| 20:00 | Ward 9' Bandurak 15', 48'Taylor 22'Hooper 38'Wallace 49'Croft 52' |
Report | Stadium: Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre |
Test matches
| 30 July 2026 Test 1 | Pakistan | 3–1 | South Korea | Islamabad, Pakistan |
| 17:15 | Khan 21', 37' Mahmood 30' |
Report | Yang 26' |
Stadium: Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium |
| 1 August 2026 Test 2 | Pakistan | 3–1 | South Korea | Islamabad, Pakistan |
| 17:15 | Butt 33' Mahmood 52', 60' |
Report | Son 30' |
Stadium: Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium |
2026 Men's FIH Hockey World Cup
| 15 August 2026 Pool D | England | 4–1 | Pakistan | Amstelveen, Netherlands |
| 23:00 | Rushmere 12' Ward 28'Hooper 31'Albery 47' |
Report | Afraz 50' |
Stadium: Wagener Stadium |
| 17 August 2026 Pool D | Pakistan | 3–3 |  Wales | Amstelveen, Netherlands |
| 16:30 | Abdul 3' Khan 49'Shahid 51' |
Report | Furlong 25', 53' Bradshaw 26' |
Stadium: Wagener Stadium |
| 19 August 2026 Pool D | Pakistan | v | India | Amstelveen, Netherlands |
| 18:00 | Stadium: Wagener Stadium |
2026 Asian Games
| 20 September 2026 Pool B | Pakistan | v | Thailand | Kakamigahara, Japan |
| 19:00 | Stadium: Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium |
| 22 September 2026 Pool B | Pakistan | v |  Uzbekistan | Kakamigahara, Japan |
| 09:00 | Stadium: Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium |
| 25 September 2026 Pool B | China | v | Pakistan | Kakamigahara, Japan |
| 09:00 | Stadium: Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium |
| 26 September 2026 Pool B | Malaysia | v | Pakistan | Kakamigahara, Japan |
| 13:00 | Stadium: Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium |
| 28 September 2026 Pool B | Pakistan | v | Oman | Kakamigahara, Japan |
| 15:00 | Stadium: Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium |
Head-to-head record
Record last updated as of the following matches:
Pakistan vs Wales at Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen in the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup, 17 August 2026
| Won more matches than lost | |
| Won equal matches to lost | |
| Lost more matches than won |
| Opponent | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win % | Last meeting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina |
36 | 21 | 3 | 12 | 111 | 66 | 58.33% | 2025 |
| Australia |
125 | 43 | 19 | 63 | 258 | 342 | 34.4% | 2026 |
| Austria |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 100% | 2026 |
| Bangladesh |
16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 139 | 12 | 100% | 2025 |
 Belarus |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 100% | 2000 |
| Belgium |
40 | 24 | 4 | 12 | 96 | 75 | 60% | 2026 |
| Canada |
32 | 24 | 4 | 4 | 103 | 57 | 75% | 2024 |
| China |
38 | 31 | 2 | 5 | 159 | 46 | 81.58% | 2026 |
 Chinese Taipei |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 100% | 2013 |
 Cuba |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0% | 1993 |
 Denmark |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 100% | 1948 |
 East Germany |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0% | 1968 |
| Egypt |
11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 6 | 100% | 2022 |
| England |
40 | 15 | 8 | 17 | 84 | 96 | 37.50% | 2026 |
| France |
27 | 19 | 5 | 3 | 114 | 35 | 70.37% | 2025 |
| Germany |
128 | 47 | 18 | 63 | 251 | 296 | 36.72% | 2026 |
 Great Britain |
50 | 27 | 7 | 16 | 124 | 87 | 54% | 2024 |
 Hong Kong |
47 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 162 | 2 | 100% | 2010 |
| India |
183 | 82 | 32 | 69 | 407 | 390 | 44.81% | 2026 |
| Indonesia |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 100% | 2022 |
| Iran |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 100% | 1985 |
 Ireland |
16 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 46 | 21 | 62.5% | 2022 |
| Italy |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 100% | 2009 |
| Japan |
68 | 46 | 13 | 9 | 236 | 81 | 67.65% | 2026 |
 Kazakhstan |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 100% | 2018 |
 Kenya |
52 | 33 | 12 | 7 | 126 | 37 | 63.46% | 1998 |
| Malaysia |
116 | 83 | 23 | 10 | 320 | 149 | 71.55% | 2026 |
 Nepal |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 100% | 2010 |
| Netherlands |
148 | 60 | 30 | 58 | 316 | 355 | 40.54% | 2025 |
| New Zealand |
60 | 37 | 8 | 15 | 188 | 118 | 61.66% | 2025 |
 Nigeria |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 3 | 100% | 2003 |
| Oman |
10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 74 | 10 | 88.88% | 2022 |
| Poland |
13 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 41 | 16 | 76.92% | 2015 |
 Rhodesia |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 100% | 1968 |
 Russia |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 100% | 2009 |
| Scotland |
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 6 | 83.33% | 2022 |
 Singapore |
14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 87 | 7 | 100% | 2023 |
| South Africa |
17 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 64 | 35 | 64.7% | 2022 |
| South Korea |
78 | 42 | 14 | 22 | 233 | 143 | 53.85% | 2026 |
| Soviet Union |
17 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 59 | 20 | 82.35% | 1992 |
| Spain |
74 | 42 | 17 | 15 | 182 | 116 | 56.76% | 2026 |
 Sri Lanka |
11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 103 | 2 | 100% | 2016 |
 Switzerland |
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 14 | 83.33% | 2000 |
 Tanzania |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 100% | 1965 |
| Thailand |
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 0 | 83.33% | 2018 |
 Trinidad and Tobago |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 100% | 2007 |
 Uganda |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 100% | 1972 |
 Ukraine |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 100% | 2007 |
| United States |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 100% | 1996 |
| Uzbekistan |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 100% | 2023 |
| Wales |
6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 6 | 66.66% | 2026 |
 Zimbabwe |
9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 4 | 100% | 1988 |
