Hockey World Cup 2026: India And Pakistan Clubbed In The Same Pool For Men’s Event
India and arch rivals Pakistan will feature in the same pool at the upcoming men’s Hockey World Cup starting from August 15 in Belgium and Netherlands, International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced on Tuesday.
The two teams are part of Pool D, which also includes England and Wales. Matches in the group will be played in Amsterdam.
In the 16-team tournament, the top team from each pool will qualify directly for the quarterfinals, while the second- and third-placed teams will compete in cross-over matches for the remaining spots in the last eight.
The draw ceremony was held at the Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam, one of the two venues for the tournament along with the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre, Belgium.
The upcoming meeting will mark the first time India and Pakistan face each other in the opening round of a Hockey World Cup since the 2010 edition in New Delhi, where India won 4-1 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.
Pakistan did not qualify for the 2014 edition. In 2018, when the tournament was held in Bhubaneswar, the two teams were placed in separate groups. While India reached the quarterfinals, Pakistan were eliminated in the cross-over stage. Pakistan also failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.
Elsewhere in the men’s competition, defending champions Germany have been drawn in Pool B alongside hosts Belgium, France and Malaysia. Pool A features the Netherlands, Argentina, New Zealand and Japan, while Pool C includes Australia, Spain, Ireland and South Africa.
In the women’s World Cup, which will be held on the same dates and in the same host countries, India have been drawn in Pool D alongside England, Asian champions China and African champions South Africa.
India had lost 0-2 to England in the final of the World Cup qualifiers in Hyderabad earlier this week.
The draw was conducted by former international players Naomie van As, Barbara Neelen and Teun de Nooijer, along with DJ La Fuente, who was also named Dutch ambassador for the World Cup.
FIH president Tayyab Ikram said the draw marked “another major milestone” in the lead-up to the tournament and thanked Belgium and the Netherlands for hosting the event.
The full match schedule for the men’s and women’s tournaments will be released on March 18.
Pools
Men
Pool A: Netherlands, Argentina, New Zealand, Japan
Pool B: Belgium, Germany, France, Malaysia
Pool C: Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa
Pool D: England, India, Pakistan, Wales
Women
Pool A: Netherlands, Australia, Chile, Japan
Pool B: Argentina, Germany, USA, Scotland
Pool C: Belgium, Spain, New Zealand, Ireland
Pool D: China, England, India, South Africa
