World No 8 India is set to play against archrivals Pakistan in a Pool D match at 6.30 pm IST on August 19 at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen. The Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 will see India, Pakistan, Wales, and England in Pool D, with the top team advancing to the quarterfinals and the next two teams entering Cross-Over matches.
The match schedule for the World Cup was confirmed by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) following a draw ceremony held at the Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam. India, the 1975 World Cup winner, will kick off their campaign against Wales on August 15 at 4.30 pm IST, followed by a match against fourth-ranked England on August 17 at the Wagener Hockey Stadium.
In another significant match of Pool D, England will face Pakistan on August 15. The first round matches will take place until August 20, with the knock-out stage matches scheduled from August 21 onwards.
On the women’s side, the Indian hockey team will start their journey against World No.4 China on August 16 at the Wagner Stadium in Amsterdam. Subsequently, they will play against South Africa on August 18 and then face World No. 7 England on August 20 to conclude their first round fixtures.
The Men’s and Women’s Hockey World Cups, jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands, will commence with Australia women taking on Japan Women on August 15. A total of six matches, split evenly between the men’s and women’s categories, will be held at two venues on the opening day of the competitions.
India, among other nations like the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Argentina, Spain, New Zealand, Japan, and South Africa, have secured spots in both the men’s and women’s sections of the competition. The Indian men’s team qualified by winning the Asia Cup, while the women’s team secured their place by finishing second in the Qualifying tournament in Hyderabad, Telangana.
