After a successful football World Cup, attention turns to the men’s and women’s hockey World Cup, co-hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30. Both tournaments will run simultaneously, with the women’s final on August 29.
This year marks the first time the traditional quarterfinals are replaced with a second round featuring eight teams. Instead of a knockout format, qualified teams from the group stage will play two additional matches before advancing to the semifinals.
In men’s hockey, Pakistan leads with four titles, followed by the Netherlands, Australia, and Germany (three each). India and Belgium also have one title each. In women’s hockey, the Netherlands are dominant with nine titles, while Australia, Germany, and Argentina share two titles each.
For the men’s tournament:
– 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
For the women’s tournament:
– 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
The 2026 Hockey World Cup features a new format. A total of 16 teams (eight men’s and eight women’s) compete for the trophy. Teams are divided into four groups of four. The top two from each group advance to the second round, which is split into two pools:
– Pool E: Top two teams from Pool A and D
– Pool F: Top two teams from Pool B and C
Teams that met in the group stage will not face each other again in the second round. Semifinalists play five matches against different opponents. The top two teams from Pools E and F advance to the semifinals and final, while the losing semifinalists compete for bronze.
The Netherlands’ Wagener Hockey Stadium (Amstelveen) and Belgium’s Belfius Hockey Arena (Wavre) host the matches. Star Sports broadcasts the event in India across Star Sports SD and HD channels, with live streaming available on JioStar app and website.