Hockey World Cup 2026: Full Schedule, India Squads, Venues, New Format & Everything You Need to Know

The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 is going to mesmerize hockey lovers around the world as the tournament is back with a modified, new format with world-class teams and simultaneous men’s and women’s competitions. The tournament is going to be co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands between August 15 to August 30, 2026.

The excitement has doubled for Indian hockey lovers. The men’s team will play against Wales from August 15 under the captaincy of Harmanpreet Singh and the women’s team will be playing against China on August 16 under the captaincy of Salima Tete. India is entering the tournament as one of the strongest teams with high expectations of winning the coveted World Cup trophy which they were waiting to win for a long time.

2026 Hockey World Cup: Tournament Overview

The 2026 version of the FIH Hockey World Cup will be co-held in Belgium and Netherlands, making it one of the largest international hockey tournaments of the year.

What is more, unlike in the previous editions, the competition format this time allows for more matches per team. Overall, there will be 32 teams (16 men’s and 16 women’s) playing in 15 days to win the trophy.

The tournament will be held at two historic football venues at the same time, making it one of the most ambitious editions in the history of the FIH World Cup.

2026 Hockey World Cup Key Points

Tournament: FIH Hockey World Cup 2026
Dates: From August 15 to August 30, 2026
Hosts: Belgium and the Netherlands
Men’s teams: 16
Women’s teams: 16
Total number of teams: 32
Locations: Amstelveen and Wavre

Hockey World Cup 2026 Pools

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

India’s Hockey World Cup 2026 Schedule

India Men’s Matches

Date	Match	Time (IST)
August 15	India vs Wales	4:30 PM
August 17	India vs England	6:30 PM
August 19	India vs Pakistan	6:30 PM

India Women’s Matches

Date	Match	Time (IST)
August 16	India vs China	4:30 PM
August 18	India vs South Africa	6:30 PM
August 20	India vs England	6:30 PM

India Men’s Squad for Hockey World Cup 2026

Position	Players Name
Goalkeepers	Mohith HS, Suraj Karkera
Defenders	Harmanpreet Singh (Captain), Amit Rohidas, Jarmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, Sumit, Yashdeep Siwach
Midfielders	Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Nilakanta Sharma, Rajinder Singh, Aditya Arjun Lalage
Forwards	Abhishek, Mandeep Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Shilanand Lakra

India Women’s Squad for Hockey World Cup 2026

Position	Players Name
Goalkeepers	Savita, Bichu Devi Kharibam
Defenders	Sushila Chanu, Ishika Chaudhary, Lalthantluangi, Jyoti, Shilpi Dabas
Midfielders	Salima Tete (Captain), Nikki Pradhan, Sakshi Rana,Sunelita Toppo, Neha, Deepika Soreng
Forwards	Deepika,Navneet Kaur, Lalremsiami, Beauty Dungdung, Baljeet Kaur, Ishika, Rutuja Dadaso Pisal