The Netherlands men and women teams have secured their top positions in the FIH World Rankings, fending off competitors by clinching trophies and titles. The year 2025 witnessed significant shifts in the rankings, with established teams reinforcing their dominance and emerging teams making notable progress. International hockey in 2025 featured a packed schedule of top-tier events, including the FIH Hockey Pro League, Nations Cup, and Continental Championships across various continents, leading to dynamic changes in the global rankings.
Focusing on the women’s rankings, the Netherlands maintained their lead throughout the year with a remarkable season, claiming titles at the Pro League and the EuroHockey Championships. Argentina, Belgium, and China also held onto their positions in the top rankings, with Spain making substantial gains to secure the fifth spot. Notable movements included New Zealand climbing to ninth place and Spain’s rise to fifth, displacing Australia, Germany, and England down the rankings.
In the men’s rankings, the Netherlands and Belgium continued to dominate the top spots, while Germany and Argentina made significant advancements. Australia and Spain also moved up in the rankings, while England and India experienced drops in their positions. France, New Zealand, and Ireland saw changes in their rankings, with South Africa and Malaysia maintaining their positions. Pakistan, Wales, and Korea made upward moves, and Egypt emerged as a notable climber following a strong performance at the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2.
The FIH introduced a new ranking model in 2020, shifting from a tournament-based system to a match-based approach using the Elo rating system. Teams now exchange points based on match results, relative rankings, and match importance. The new model rewards teams for defeating higher-ranked opponents and penalizes losses to lower-ranked teams, aiming to provide a more dynamic and accurate representation of team rankings.
