- The men's tournament features 16 teams divided into four pools.
- India and Pakistan will meet in Match 18 of the men's tournament on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
- The tournament will conclude with the men's final in Wavre on August 30.
The India-Pakistan rivalry will once again take centre stage as the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 gets underway.
One of the intense rivalries in hockey history, the contest has always carried an extra edge. This year's tournament will bring the two neighbours together in the same pool.
The 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup, featuring both the men's and women's tournaments, will be jointly hosted by Wavre in Belgium and Amstelveen in the Netherlands from August 15 to 30.
The men's tournament comprises 16 teams divided into four pools, with the competition moving into a second group phase before the knockout matches.
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Defending champions Germany will be looking to retain their crown, while India will have home-like support from travelling fans as they look to mount a strong title challenge.
When Is India vs Pakistan In Hockey World Cup 2026?
India and Pakistan will meet in Match 18 of the men's tournament on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
The highly anticipated clash is scheduled to begin at 18:30 IST and will be played at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands.
The match could have a major impact on the Pool D standings, with England and Wales also part of the group.
Hockey World Cup 2026 Venues
The tournament will be played across two major hockey venues.
Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen: The Netherlands' iconic venue has hosted three European Championships and four Champions Trophy editions, making it one of the most recognisable hockey stadiums in the world.
Belfius Hockey Arena, Wavre: The Belgian venue stands on the former site of the Justin Peeters Stadium, which was once home to now-defunct football club Wavre Sports FC.
Men's Hockey World Cup 2026 Groups
Pool A: Argentina, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand
Pool B: Belgium, France, Germany, Malaysia
Pool C: Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa
Pool D: England, India, Pakistan, Wales
Women's Hockey World Cup 2026 Groups
Pool A: Australia, Chile, Japan, Netherlands
Pool B: Argentina, Germany, Scotland, USA
Pool C: Belgium, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand
Pool D: China, England, India, South Africa
New Format For Hockey World Cup 2026
The 2026 edition introduces a new 16-team format. Instead of immediately moving into traditional quarter-finals, the top two teams from each pool progress to a second group phase.
The bottom two teams from each initial pool will also continue into classification groups.
The second phase will feature Pools E and F for the leading teams, with previous results carried forward. The top two teams from each of those pools will then advance to the semi-finals.
The tournament will conclude with the men's final in Wavre on August 30, while the women's final will be played in Amstelveen on August 29.
FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Live Streaming
Fans around the world can watch the FIH Hockey World Cup through the official Watch.Hockey platform with a World Cup Pass.
India: Star Sports, JioHotstar
Pakistan: Tapmad
Worldwide: Watch.Hockey
FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2026 Full Schedule
Group stage
August 15, Saturday
India vs Wales (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 4:30 PM
Germany vs Malaysia (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 6:00 PM
England vs Pakistan (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 10:30 PM
Belgium vs France (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 12:30 AM
August 16, Sunday
Australia vs Ireland (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 3:00 PM
Spain vs South Africa (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 6:00 PM
Netherlands vs New Zealand (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 7:30 PM
Argentina vs Japan (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 10:30 PM
August 17, Monday
Pakistan vs Wales (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 4:00 PM
France vs Malaysia (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 5:30 PM
India vs England (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 6:30 PM
Germany vs Belgium (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 12:00 AM
August 18, Tuesday
New Zealand vs Japan (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 1:00 PM
Spain vs Australia (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 5:30 PM
Ireland vs South Africa (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 8:30 PM
Argentina vs Netherlands (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 9:30 PM
August 19, Wednesday
England vs Wales (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 4:00 PM
Pakistan vs India (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 6:30 PM
France vs Germany (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 8:30 PM
Belgium vs Malaysia (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 12:00 AM
August 20, Thursday
Australia vs South Africa (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 2:30 PM
New Zealand vs Argentina (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 4:00 PM
Ireland vs Spain (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 8:30 PM
Netherlands vs Japan (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 9:30 PM
Crossover round
August 21, Friday
Third Pool B vs Fourth Pool C (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 2:30 PM
Third Pool C vs Fourth Pool B (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 5:30 PM
First Pool C vs Second Pool B (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 8:30 PM
August 22, Saturday
First Pool B vs Second Pool C (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 12:00 AM
Third Pool A vs Fourth Pool D (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 1:30 PM
Third Pool D vs Fourth Pool A (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 4:30 PM
First Pool A vs Second Pool D (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 7:30 PM
First Pool D vs Second Pool A (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 10:30 PM
August 23, Sunday
Fourth Pool B vs Fourth Pool C (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 3:00 PM
Third Pool B vs Third Pool C (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 6:00 PM
First Pool B vs First Pool C (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 9:00 PM
August 24, Monday
Second Pool B vs Second Pool C (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 12:00 AM
Fourth Pool A vs Fourth Pool D (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 1:00 PM
Third Pool A vs Third Pool D (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 4:00 PM
Second Pool A vs Second Pool D (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 6:15 PM
First Pool A vs First Pool D (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 9:30 PM
Classification Matches and Semi-finals
August 28, Friday
Third Pool G vs Third Pool H (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 1:00 PM
Fourth Pool G vs Fourth Pool H (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 2:30 PM
Second Pool G vs Second Pool H (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 4:00 PM
First Pool G vs First Pool H (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 5:30 PM
Third Pool E vs Third Pool F (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 6:30 PM
Fourth Pool E vs Fourth Pool F (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 8:30 PM
First Pool E vs Second Pool F (Wagener Stadion, Amstelveen) – 9:30 PM
August 29, Saturday
First Pool F vs Second Pool E (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 12:00 AM
Final stage
August 30, Sunday
Third-place playoff (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 5:30 PM
Final (Belfius Arena, Belgium) – 8:00 PM