The countdown to the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 is on, and the Indian men’s hockey team will go to Wales for the first time next week on August 15, 2026, with a squad of 16 of the world’s most renowned hockey teams. The tournament is expected to be held in Belgium and the Netherlands from August 15 to August 30, 2026.
According to Hockey India's official schedule, India has been placed in Pool D alongside England, Pakistan and Wales. India will play all three of its opening pool matches at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands.
The tournament is going to be very exciting, especially since India and Pakistan have been drawn in the same pool and most of the teams are expected to be in the same pool. The match is expected to be one of the most eagerly watched matches of the group stage to be played on August 19, and it’s the much-awaited match of the tournament.
India Hockey Team World Cup schedule
India will begin its World Cup campaign on August 15 against Wales. The match starts at 4:30 PM IST.
The second challenge will be England on August 17. The match will take place on August 17 at 6:30 PM IST and India will have a big chance to strengthen its position in Pool D.
India's third and final pool match is on August 19 against its traditional foes, Pakistan. The high-voltage clash will begin at 6:30 PM IST. The official schedule confirmed the India-Pakistan match at Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen.
The schedule is particularly important as every match in the opening phase could influence India's route into the next stage. With England, Pakistan and Wales in the same pool, India will need consistency from the opening game.
The tournament begins on August 15
The 2026 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup will be held from August 15 to August 30 in Belgium and the Netherlands. The two venues are Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen and Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre. The official FIH calendar lists 16 men’s teams: India, Pakistan, England, Wales, Australia, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, France, Argentina, New Zealand, Malaysia, Ireland, Japan and South Africa.
The competition also introduces a new structure, as the tournament will move away from the old format of directly progressing from the pool stage to quarter-finals. The second stage will involve crossover pools, so every result in the early phase will be really crucial.
India-Pakistan match to be major attraction
The India-Pakistan match on August 19 will bring huge interest to hockey fans worldwide. Matches in the past have always attracted high interest between the two teams, and their 2026 World Cup match adds another huge chapter to the rivalry.
India is going to be at the tournament with high expectations from its fans. Captain Harmanpreet Singh has said that the team has worked hard from the start and is prepared in all aspects of the game: attacking and defensive aspects, as well as a lot of the team has been made ahead of the competition.
The Indian men’s team will also be looking to finish the long-standing wait for a World Cup podium performance. India last won the men’s Hockey World Cup in 1975, and the team is now looking to write a new chapter in the country’s hockey history. Coach Craig Fulton has spoken of the team’s desire for a podium place in World Cup history and for the team to write its own history of World Cup goals.
Full India Pool Stage Schedule. August 15, 4:30 PM IST - India vs Wales. August 17, 6:30 PM IST - India vs England. August 19, 6:30 PM IST - Pakistan vs India
All three matches will be played at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen.
Knockout Stage
After the opening pool stage, the tournament will move to the next stage, where teams will play in crossover pools before the semi-finals. The teams playing in the knockout match-ups will depend on the results of the previous stages, and the FIH schedule states that the sequence of later matches can be confirmed after the previous stage is concluded.
The semi-finals and the final will be the culmination of a tournament featuring some of the world's strongest hockey nations.
For Indian fans, the first step will be on August 15 when Team India will take the field against Wales. The England match will follow two days later before the much-awaited India-Pakistan match on August 19.
The 2026 Hockey World Cup could be a big event for Indian hockey supporters, as a new Pool D tournament format and the nation’s determination to break its long World Cup podium drought will help make it big.
