Field hockey’s biggest stage is back, and it looks nothing like before. The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 kicked off on August 15 in Amstelveen and Wavre, with Belgium and the Netherlands co-hosting for the first time in the tournament’s history.
## How the tournament has unfolded
Sixteen men’s teams and sixteen women’s teams began the pool stage across two venues: Wagener Stadium in the Netherlands and the new Belfius Hockey Arena in Belgium. Early results have already reshaped the contenders list. India’s men opened with a 3-1 win over Wales, then produced the story of the tournament so far, a 5-3 win over Pakistan on August 19 that eliminated their fiercest rivals and sent both India and England through from Pool D. England had topped the group with nine points from three wins.
On the women’s side, India recorded their biggest-ever World Cup victory, beating South Africa 6-1.
## What comes next
– Pool stage: concludes August 20
– Crossover pools (E-H): August 21-24
– Semifinals: late August
– Women’s final: August 29
– Men’s final: August 30
For a deeper look at how this new structure actually works, see our breakdown of the [tournament’s revamped format](hockey-world-cup-2026-new-format-explained). If you only want India’s fixtures in one place, our [India schedule guide](hockey-world-cup-2026-india-schedule) has every date and kickoff time in IST.
## Why this edition matters
Germany arrived as defending men’s champions from 2023, while the Netherlands defend the women’s title. Pakistan, the most successful men’s team in World Cup history with four titles, are already out, a reminder of how unforgiving the new crossover format can be. For context on how big that India win really was, read our [match analysis of India vs Pakistan](india-vs-pakistan-hockey-world-cup-2026-match-analysis).
This page will keep being the go-to reference as results roll in, but for predictions on who lifts the trophy, check our [medal predictions](hockey-world-cup-2026-medal-predictions) piece.