The 2026 Hockey World Cup will introduce a significant change to the tournament format, with the traditional quarterfinal stage replaced by a second pool phase in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
The World Cups will be held simultaneously in Belgium and the Netherlands from August 15 to 30, with 16 teams competing in each tournament for the men’s and women’s titles.
How will the 2026 Hockey World Cup begin?
The 16 teams in each competition will be divided into four pools of four teams each.
In the men’s tournament, Pool A comprises the Netherlands, Argentina, New Zealand and Japan; Pool B has Belgium, France, Germany and Malaysia; Pool C includes Australia, Spain, Ireland and South Africa; while Pool D features England, India, Pakistan and Wales.
The women’s tournament has the Netherlands, Australia, Chile and Japan in Pool A; Argentina, Germany, the USA and Scotland in Pool B; Belgium, Spain, New Zealand and Ireland in Pool C; and China, England, India and South Africa in Pool D.
In previous editions, the top two teams from each pool advanced directly to the quarterfinals. The winners then progressed to the semifinals and subsequently the bronze-medal and gold-medal matches.
That route has been changed for 2026.
What happens after the first pool stage?
The top two teams from each of the four initial pools will advance to a second pool phase, while the third- and fourth-placed teams will move into separate classification pools.
The eight qualifying teams will be divided between Pool E and Pool F.
Pool E will consist of the top two teams from Pools A and D, while Pool F will contain the top two teams from Pools B and C.
The teams entering the second phase will not start from scratch. They will carry forward the points earned from their results against the other team from their original pool that also advances.
Each team will play two matches in the second pool phase.
For example, if India and England qualify from men’s Pool D, they will enter Pool E along with the two teams advancing from Pool A. India and England will not face each other again in this phase; instead, each will play the two qualifiers from Pool A.
How will the semifinals be decided?
The top two teams from Pools E and F will qualify for the semifinals.
The Pool E winners will face the Pool F runners-up, while the Pool F winners will take on the Pool E runners-up.
The winners of those two semifinal matches will meet in the final for the World Cup title. The losing semifinalists will play the bronze-medal match.
The new format therefore removes the quarterfinal stage and introduces an additional pool phase before the semifinals, placing greater importance on results from the opening group stage.