Mumbai, March 17 – In the 2026 Men's FIH Hockey World Cup, India and Pakistan have been placed in the same Group D, alongside England and Wales. The matches in this group will be held in Amsterdam, Netherlands, as part of a joint event organized by Belgium and the Netherlands. The matches will take place from August 15 to 30, 2026, in Amsterdam and Wavre (Belgium).
For India, this presents a challenging situation. To qualify for the quarterfinals, they will need to defeat both England and Pakistan. The second and third-placed teams from each group will then compete in crossover matches to secure a spot in the top eight.
In the Women's FIH World Cup, which will also be held on the same dates by Belgium and the Netherlands, the Indian women's team will face England, along with Asian champions China, and African champions South Africa in Group D.
The Indian women's team recently lost 0-2 to England in the final of the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers held in Hyderabad, Telangana. This will be the second time that the two teams will meet.
The official draw ceremony for the Men's and Women's FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands, took place on Tuesday at the iconic Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam. The draw determined the eight groups for the group stage, which will feature both men's and women's teams.
The draw revealed a particularly interesting match-up: India, the 1975 World Cup winner, will be in the same group as traditional rivals Pakistan, along with four-time champions.
This will be the first time that India and Pakistan will face each other in the first round of the Hockey World Cup since the 2010 edition in New Delhi. India defeated Pakistan 4-1 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.
Pakistan did not qualify for the 2014 edition, and although they made it to the 2018 edition in Bhubaneswar, India and Pakistan were in separate groups in the first round. India qualified for the quarterfinals, while Pakistan lost to Belgium in the crossover stage. Pakistan did not qualify for the 2023 edition held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.
In the men's competition, defending champions Germany will face hosts and former winner Belgium, neighboring France, and Malaysia in Group B, while the Netherlands will compete against Argentina, New Zealand, and Japan in Group A.
The draw was conducted by international hockey legends Naomie van As, Barbara Neelen, and Teun de Nooijer, as well as DJ La Fuente, who was announced as the Dutch Ambassador for the World Cup during the ceremony.
FIH President Tayyab Ikram stated: "Today's draw marks another important milestone on the road to the most prestigious FIH event, the FIH Hockey World Cup! The upcoming edition, for both women and men, co-hosted by two hockey powerhouses, promises to be a resounding success. We are very grateful to both Belgium and the Netherlands for hosting our top athletes and the global hockey community in less than six months."
"In today's fractured world, sport—and events such as this—can play a significant role in bringing people together. It can foster peace at times when our world is torn apart by conflict," FIH quoted Tayyab Ikram as saying in a release.
The complete match schedule for both the men's and women's World Cups will be released on Wednesday (March 18).
Two playful and energetic mascots, representing the joy, teamwork, and energy of hockey, were also unveiled. One per gender. These mascots symbolize how hockey brings people together from every corner of the globe. A campaign will soon be launched to invite fans to give names to these mascots.
The Groupings:
Men:
Pool A: Netherlands, Argentina, New Zealand, Japan (Will play in the Netherlands)
Pool B: Belgium, Germany, France, Malaysia (Belgium)
Pool C: Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa (Belgium)
Pool D: England, India, Pakistan, Wales (Netherlands)
Women:
Pool A: Netherlands, Australia, Chile, Japan (will play in the Netherlands)
Pool B: Argentina, Germany, USA, Scotland (Belgium)
Pool C: Belgium, Spain, New Zealand, Ireland (Belgium)
Pool D: China, England, India, South Africa (Netherlands).