Hockey World Cup 2026: Full schedule, India squads, venues, live streaming | FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023

The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 is set to bring together the world’s top men’s and women’s hockey teams for a 15-day tournament, with Belgium and the Netherlands co-hosting the prestigious event from August 15 to 30.

Featuring 32 teams, 16 in each competition, the men’s and women’s World Cups will be staged simultaneously across two iconic venues: the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen and the newly built Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre.

This edition also introduces a revamped competition format that replaces the traditional quarter-finals with a second group stage, ensuring that every team plays at least five matches before the knockout rounds.

India will head into the tournament with high expectations after naming full-strength squads for both the men’s and women’s competitions. Harmanpreet Singh’s men’s side will open its campaign against Wales on August 15 in Pool D before taking on England and arch-rival Pakistan, while the Salima Tete-led women’s team will begin its challenge against China on August 16, followed by matches against South Africa and England.

The Indian squads will have their task cut out for them ahead of the marquee event. While the men’s team will be looking to win its first World Cup medal since its gold-medal triumph in 1975, the Indian women’s team will be hoping to secure its first-ever World Cup medal, bettering its tournament-best fourth-place finish in 1974.

Hockey World Cup 2026: Full list of qualified teams

Men’s pools 

Pool A

• 
  Netherlands
• 
  Argentina
• 
  New Zealand
• 
  Japan

Pool B

• 
  Belgium
• 
  Germany
• 
  France
• 
  Malaysia

Pool C

• 
  Australia
• 
  Spain
• 
  Ireland
• 
  South Africa

Pool D

• 
  India
• 
  England
• 
  Pakistan
• 
  Wales

Women’s pools 

Pool A

• 
  Netherlands
• 
  Australia
• 
  Chile
• 
  Japan

Pool B

• 
  Argentina
• 
  Germany
• 
  United States
• 
  Scotland

Pool C

• 
  Belgium
• 
  Spain
• 
  New Zealand
• 
  Ireland

Pool D

• 
  India
• 
  China
• 
  England
• 
  South Africa

Hockey World Cup 2026: Venues

• 
  Wagener Hockey Stadium (Amstelveen, Netherlands)
• 
  Belfius Hockey Arena (Wavre, Belgium)

Hockey World Cup 2026: Full schedule

Men’s pool

Women’s pool

Hockey World Cup 2026: Format

The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 will feature a new competition format for both the men’s and women’s tournaments, with 16 teams competing in each event. The tournament will be played in three stages, with every team playing at least five matches before the knockout rounds.

In the first stage, the 16 teams are divided into four pools (A, B, C and D) of four teams each. Every team plays the other three teams in its pool once. At the end of the group stage, the top two teams from each pool advance to the second stage, while the remaining teams are eliminated from the title race.

The second stage replaces the traditional quarter-finals. The eight qualified teams are divided into two new groups. Pool E consists of the top two teams from Pools A and D, while Pool F comprises the top two teams from Pools B and C. Teams do not replay the opponent that qualified alongside them from their original pool. Instead, the result from that match is carried forward, and each team plays two new matches against the qualifiers from the paired pools. This means that every team in contention for the title plays a total of five matches before the semi-finals.

Hockey World Cup 2026: India squads

India’s men’s squad for the Hockey World Cup 2026:

Goalkeepers: Mohith HS, Suraj Karkera

Defenders: Harmanpreet Singh (captain), Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, Sumit, Yashdeep Siwach

Midfielders: Rajinder Singh, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Vivek Sagar Prasad

Forwards: Dilpreet Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Sukhjeet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Abhishek

India’s women’s squad for the Hockey World Cup 2026:

Goalkeepers: Savita, Bichu Devi Kharibam

Defenders: Ishika Chaudhary, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Lalthantluangi, Jyoti, Shilpi Dabas

Midfielders: Nikki Pradhan, Sakshi Rana, Sunelita Toppo, Salima Tete (captain), Neha, Deepika Soreng

Forwards: Lalremsiami, Rutuja Dadaso Pisal, Navneet Kaur, Deepika, Ishika, Baljeet Kaur, Beauty Dungdung

Hockey World Cup 2026: Live-streaming and telecast details

When will the Hockey World Cup 2026 begin?

The Hockey World Cup 2026 will begin on Saturday, August 15, for both the men’s and women’s competitions.

When will India start their campaign in the Hockey World Cup 2026?

India’s men’s team will kick off its campaign against Wales on August 15, while the women’s team will begin its Hockey World Cup 2026 campaign against China on August 16.

When will the finals of the Hockey World Cup 2026 be played?

The final of the women’s Hockey World Cup 2026 will take place on August 29, while the men’s final will be played on August 30.

What are the venues for the Hockey World Cup 2026?

The Wagener Hockey Stadium (Amstelveen, Netherlands) and the Belfius Hockey Arena (Wavre, Belgium) will host all the matches of the men’s and women’s Hockey World Cups 2026.

Where can viewers watch the live telecast of Hockey World Cup 2026 matches in India?

The live telecast of all the Hockey World Cup 2026 matches will be available on the Star Sports Network in India.

Where can viewers watch the live streaming of Hockey World Cup 2026 matches in India?

The live streaming of all Hockey World Cup 2026 matches will be available on the JioHotstar app and website in India.