Field hockey has a special place in Indian sport, and the World Cup, first held in 1971, has been central to that story for over half a century.
## The men’s timeline
India’s men medalled at each of the first three World Cups: bronze in 1971, silver in 1973 and, finally, gold in 1975 under Ajitpal Singh. Since then, the title has stayed out of reach, even as India’s Olympic hockey fortunes have improved in recent years. The current squad, led by Harmanpreet Singh, arrived at the 2026 edition determined to close that gap, their progress is tracked in our [road to the final](india-hockey-world-cup-2026-road-to-final) piece.
## The women’s timeline
India’s women have never won a World Cup medal, with a fourth-place finish in 1974 standing as their best result. That drought is exactly why the team’s 6-1 win over South Africa in 2026, their biggest-ever World Cup victory, has generated so much excitement, covered further in our [India squad guide](hockey-world-cup-2026-india-squad).
## The rivals that define India’s history
– Pakistan: four-time champions and India’s fiercest World Cup rival, eliminated by India in 2026, full breakdown in our [match analysis](india-vs-pakistan-hockey-world-cup-2026-match-analysis)
– Netherlands: nine-time women’s champions and the benchmark for the current era
– Germany: defending men’s champions from 2023
## Why 2026 could be different
– New crossover format guarantees more matches and reduces early elimination risk
– India have already beaten Pakistan and produced a record win for the women’s team
– Both squads remain alive heading into the tournament’s decisive phase
For context on why the India-Pakistan fixture carries so much extra weight in this history, read [why the rivalry matters so much](india-vs-pakistan-hockey-rivalry-explained), and see our staff predictions in [medal predictions](hockey-world-cup-2026-medal-predictions).