The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 will be held across Belgium and the Netherlands from August 15 to 30 and India's men's and women's teams both have defining group-stage campaigns ahead of them. The men's side opens against Wales on August 15 and close out the group stage against Pakistan on August 19, a fixture that needs no introduction for hockey fans. All of India's matches, for both the men's and women's teams, will be played at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen in the Netherlands.
India's Full Schedule And Pool Composition
The Indian men's team play three group-stage matches in Pool D alongside England, Pakistan and Wales. They open on August 15 against Wales at 4:30 PM local time, face England on August 17 at 6:30 PM and then the Indian team will take on the arch-rivals Pakistan on August 19 at 6:30 PM. The India-Pakistan fixture is always the most anticipated match of any tournament India plays in and in a World Cup group stage, the stakes are always high.
The Indian women's team are also in Pool D, alongside China, England and South Africa. The women's team will open against China on August 16 at 4:30 PM, face South Africa on August 18 at 6:30 PM and close the group stage against England on August 20 at 6:30 PM. All three of the matches will be played at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen.
Apart from that, the pool compositions across the rest of the draw make for interesting reading. On the men's side, Pool A features Netherlands, Argentina, New Zealand and Japan playing in the Netherlands. Pool B has Belgium, Germany, France, and Malaysia in Belgium. Pool C brings together Australia, Spain, Ireland and South Africa in Belgium. India are in Pool D with England, Pakistan and Wales, playing in the Netherlands.
On the women's side, Pool A has Netherlands, Australia, Chile and Japan in the Netherlands. Pool B features Argentina, Germany, USA and Scotland in Belgium. Pool C has Belgium, Spain, New Zealand and Ireland in Belgium. India are in Pool D with China, England and South Africa in the Netherlands.
How The Tournament Format Works
The format for both the men's and women's tournaments follows the same structure. 16 teams are divided into four pools of four each-- Pools A, B, C and D. The top two from each pool advance to the second round, while the bottom two move into classification groups and are out of medal contention.
In the second round, the top two from Pools A and D come together to form Pool E, while the top two from Pools B and C form Pool F. Crucially, teams carry their group-stage results into the second round, meaning every point in the group stage counts. Each team plays just two matches in the second round.
The top two from Pools E and F after the second round advance to the semifinals. The third-placed teams in Pools E and F play off for fifth place, while the fourth-placed teams compete for seventh. Teams in Pools G and H, formed from the bottom two of each original pool, compete for positions 9 through 16.
On the other hand, for the Indian team, the group stage draw is manageable but not without challenges. The men's side will be tested by England before the Pakistan game arrives. The women's team face a tricky opener against China before what should be two winnable fixtures against South Africa and England. The Hockey World Cup arrives at a time when Indian hockey, particularly the men's side is in one of its strongest phases in years, following back-to-back Olympic medals. August 15, India's Independence Day, is when the men's campaign begins and the timing is not lost on anyone.