New Delhi: The FIH Hockey Men’s and Women’s World Cup 2026 will feature a revamped competition structure, with the traditional quarterfinal stage scrapped and the top two teams from each of the two crossover pools advancing directly to the semi-finals as Belgium and the Netherlands jointly host the tournament from August 15 to 30. — give a short and dramatic headline
The new format means teams will have little margin for error from the outset, with results from the opening pool stage potentially carrying over into the next phase. India’s men have been drawn alongside England, Pakistan and Wales in Pool D, while the Indian women will face China, England and South Africa in their Pool D campaign.
The tournament will begin with the 16 teams in each competition split across four pools of four. From August 15 to 20, every team will play three matches against the other sides in its pool, with the final standings determining the composition of the next phase.
The top two teams from Pools A and D will move into Pool E, while the leading two teams from Pools B and C will form Pool F. The teams finishing third and fourth in Pools A and D will make up Pool G, with the corresponding teams from Pools B and C placed in Pool H.
The second phase, scheduled from August 21 to 24, will see teams play three more matches. However, one result from the opening phase will carry forward – the outcome of the Phase 1 match between the two teams that progress from the same original pool.
This makes every pool match particularly significant, especially for sides targeting the semi-finals.
The top two finishers from Pool E and Pool F will advance directly to the last four. The semi-final match-ups will be Pool E winners vs Pool F runners-up and Pool F winners vs Pool E runners-up. The remaining teams will compete in classification matches for positions 5th to 16th.
Indian women’s team’s chief coach Sjoerd Marijne acknowledged that while he would have preferred the traditional quarterfinal route, the new structure presents opportunities that his team must exploit.
“It’s an interesting schedule, but my preference is to have quarterfinals in a tournament format. I understand that for higher-ranked teams in the world they will prefer this, but I think quarterfinal matches are among the most exciting matches in a tournament. But it is how it is, and we will deal with this and make the best of this format. I am always thinking in opportunities, and there are opportunities also within this format,” Marijne said.