The Indian hockey team will aim to win their first medal in 51 years at the Hockey World Cup as they take the field in the 2026 edition of the tournament.
The competition, which is taking place for the 16th time, is being jointly hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium.
India will take the tournament with their confidence sky-high after winning a bronze medal in both the 2021 and 2024 Olympic Games in Tokyo and Paris after going 41 years without standing on the podium. However, since winning the Hockey World Cup for the only time in 1975, they have never won any medal in the quadrennial event.
The Indian team will take a new avatar in the tournament, as their home kit colour has changed from the traditional blue to saffron in a controversial change by Hockey India (HI).
Harmanpreet Singh will continue to lead India while Chris Fulton remains the coach. Both were also in charge of the team that stood on the podium in the Paris Olympic Games two years ago.
India are in Group D of the Hockey World Cup, and if they finish in the top two and qualify for the second round, they will be in Group B. They will play all their first two round games in Amstelveen and only travel to Belgium if they reach the semi-finals or have to play a classificaiton match.
India’s Hockey World Cup 2026 Fixtures, Opponents, Date, And Timing (If They Qualify For Semi-finals)
India’s Fixtures At Hockey World Cup 2026
Pool D – Group Stage
August 15, 2026 – 4:30 PM IST
India vs Wales
Venue: Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen
August 17, 2026 – 6:30 PM IST
India vs England
Venue: Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen
August 19, 2026 – 6:30 PM IST
Pakistan vs India
Venue: Wagener Stadium, Amstelvee
Second Round – India Will Be In Group E
If India Finish 1st In Pool D – D1
August 22, 2026 – 10:30 PM IST
D1 (India) vs A2 (Netherlands/Argentina/New Zealand/Japan)
Venue: Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen
August 24, 2026 – 9:30 PM IST
A1 (Netherlands/Argentina/New Zealand/Japan) vs D1 (India)
Venue: Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen
If India Finish 2nd In Pool D – D2
August 22, 2026 – 7:30 PM IST
A1 (Netherlands/Argentina/New Zealand/Japan) vs D2 (India)
Venue: Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen
August 24, 2026 – 6:30 PM IST
A2 (Netherlands/Argentina/New Zealand/Japan) vs D2 (India)
Venue: Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen
Semi-Finals
If India Finish 1st In Pool E
August 28, 2026 – 10:30 PM IST
1st Pool E (India) vs 2nd Pool F – Semi-Final
Venue: Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen
If India Finish 2nd In Pool E
August 29, 2026 – 12:00 AM IST
1st Pool F vs 2nd Pool E (India) – Semi-Final
Venue: Stade Justin Peeters, Wavre
If India Lose The Semi-Final
August 30, 2026 – 5:30 PM IST
Loser SF1 vs Loser SF2 – Third-Place Match
Venue: Stade Justin Peeters, Wavre
If India Win The Semi-Final
August 30, 2026 – 8:00 PM IST
Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2 – Final
Venue: Stade Justin Peeters, Wavre
If India Finish 3rd In Pool E
August 28, 2026 – 6:30 PM IST
3rd Pool E (India) vs 3rd Pool F – 5th Place Match
Venue: Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen
If India Finish 4th In Pool E
August 28, 2026 – 8:30 PM IST
4th Pool E (India) vs 4th Pool F – 7th Place Match
Venue: Stade Justin Peeters, Wavre
Meanwhile if India are knocked out in the first round, they will have to play classification matches to determine where they finish between 9th and 15th. IF they finish third or fourth in Group D, they will be placed in Group G.
If India Are Knocked Out In First Round – Classification Round Schedule
If India Finish 3rd In Pool D – D3
August 22, 2026 – 1:30 PM IST
3rd Pool A (Netherlands/Argentina/New Zealand/Japan) vs D3 (India)
Venue: Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen
August 24, 2026 – 4:00 PM IST
3rd Pool A (Netherlands/Argentina/New Zealand/Japan) vs 3rd Pool D (India)
Venue: Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen
If India Finish 4th In Pool D – D4
August 22, 2026 – 4:30 PM IST
D3 (India) vs 4th Pool A (Netherlands/Argentina/New Zealand/Japan)
Venue: Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen
August 24, 2026 – 1:00 PM IST
4th Pool A (Netherlands/Argentina/New Zealand/Japan) vs D4 (India)
Venue: Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen
If India Finish 1st In Pool G
August 28, 2026 – 5:30 PM IST
1st Pool G (India) vs 1st Pool H – 9th Place Match
Venue: Stade Justin Peeters, Wavre
If India Finish 2nd In Pool G
August 28, 2026 – 4:00 PM IST
2nd Pool G (India) vs 2nd Pool H – 11th Place Match
Venue: Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen
If India Finish 3rd In Pool G
August 28, 2026 – 1:00 PM IST
3rd Pool G (India) vs 3rd Pool H – 13th Place Match
Venue: Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen
If India Finish 4th In Pool G
August 28, 2026 – 2:30 PM IST
4th Pool G (India) vs 4th Pool H – 15th Place Match
Venue: Stade Justin Peeters, Wavre
India Squad For Hockey World Cup 2026:
Goalkeepers: Mohith HS, Suraj Karkera
Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh (c), Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, Sumit, Yashdeep Siwach
Midfielders: Rajinder Singh, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Vivek Sagar Prasad
Forwards: Dilpreet Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Sukhjeet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Abhishek