Pakistan and India have been placed in the same group for the 2026 Hockey World Cup, as the International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced the full schedule of the tournament.
The 16-team event will be jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands and will take place from August 15 to 30. The opening match of the tournament will be played between India and England at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen.
Pakistan have been placed in Pool D along with India, England, and Wales, making it a tough group. After the announcement, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) said the team will face strong competition in this pool, including their traditional rivals.
Pakistan is set to play against India on August 19 at 6pm Pakistan time. According to the tournament format, the top two teams from each group will qualify for the next stage, where eight teams will be divided into two new groups.
The final match of the Hockey World Cup will be played on August 30 at the Belfius Hockey Arena.
FIH World Cup pools:
Pool ‘A’: Netherlands, Argentina, New Zealand, and Japan
Pool ‘B’: Belgium, Germany, France, and Malaysia
Pool ‘C’: Australia, Spain, Ireland, and South Africa
Pool ‘D’: India, Pakistan, England and Wales.
