The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 begins on August 15, with an edition that will bring together 32 national teams, 16 men’s and 16 women’s, over two weeks in Belgium and the Netherlands. The Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre and the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen will host the competition, which runs through August 30 and features Argentina and Spain among the teams aiming for a place on the podium. However, this will not be an ordinary World Cup: the tournament introduces a new format that significantly changes the path to the semifinals and eliminates the traditional quarterfinals.
The competition will also feature several major storylines. In the women’s tournament, the Netherlands will defend their home title, having won the World Cup nine times, and will once again face Argentina, a team that has spent years pursuing the same goal. In the men’s tournament, Germany arrive as reigning world champions, while the Netherlands and Belgium are among the leading contenders for the title. Argentina will look to regain prominence after finishing ninth at the last World Cup, while Spain will seek to build on its recent progress and challenge for the medals, both with the ‘RedSticks’ and its women’s team.
A new format changes the path to the semifinals
The first phase of the World Cup will take place from August 15 to 20, with four groups of four teams in each category. From August 21, a second group stage will bring together the best-placed teams from the opening round. The top two teams from each of those groups will advance directly to the semifinals, a change that eliminates the quarterfinals and makes every match in the first and second phases particularly important in the standings. The system also introduces a specific rule for teams that meet again after having shared a group: if two teams come from the same initial group, they will carry over the result of their head-to-head match.
The schedule will take the competition toward its decisive weekend at the end of August. The women’s semifinals will be played on Thursday, August 27, while the men’s semifinals will take place on Friday, August 28, alongside classification matches. Saturday, August 29, will feature the women’s bronze-medal match and final, while the men’s medals will be decided on Sunday, August 30. At the same time, matches for ninth through 16th place will be played from August 21 to 24, meaning both venues will remain active as the leading contenders begin to shape their paths toward the titles.
The stars and teams chasing the world title
In the men’s competition, Belgium arrive as the world’s No. 1 team after winning the 2025-2026 FIH Pro League. One of their key players is Tom Boon: at 36, the forward was named FIH Player of the Year in 2025 and scored 19 goals in 13 matches during the latest Pro League season. Alongside him will be Alexander Hendrickx, one of international hockey’s most renowned drag-flick specialists. The Netherlands, reigning Olympic champions and second in the world rankings, will seek to reclaim a World Cup title they have not won since 1998, while England, ranked third in the world, also appear capable of challenging the leading favorites. Argentina will have Tomás Domene, the top scorer in the latest FIH Pro League with 21 goals, among their main weapons. Spain, meanwhile, arrive after winning bronze at the 2025 European Championship and will look to improve on their sixth-place finish at the last World Cup.
The women’s competition presents a scenario dominated by the Netherlands. Five-time Olympic champions, they lead the world rankings by a wide margin and arrive after winning the FIH Pro League for the fourth consecutive time. Xan de Waard, named FIH Player of the Year in 2025, and Yibbi Jansen, the top scorer in the latest Pro League, headline a generation accustomed to competing in finals. Argentina will once again be one of their biggest rivals: ‘Las Leonas’ are ranked second in the world and feature Majo Granatto, a two-time Olympic medalist and Player of the Match at the last World Cup, as well as Agustina Gorzelany, the second-highest scorer of the Pro League season. Belgium and the People’s Republic of China, who pushed the Netherlands to a shoot-out in the Paris 2024 final, complete the group of leading contenders, while Spain, bronze medalists at the 2025 European Championship, will aim to return to the World Cup podium eight years after their last appearance, and Scotland will compete at a World Cup for the first time in 24 years.
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