Nine World Cup titles. No other team has even won five. Netherlands women’s hockey is the closest thing the sport has to a perfect team. The only question going into Amstelveen is whether anyone in this tournament has what it takes to end Netherlands’ Hockey World Cup streak.
The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Women’s tournament runs from August 15 to August 29 across two venues in Belgium and the Netherlands. Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen hosts Pool A and Pool D matches. Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre hosts Pool B and Pool C.
For India, the 1974 inaugural edition remains their best finish, fourth place. In 2022 they finished ninth. Coach Sjoerd Marijne, who guided them to the Olympic semifinal in Tokyo, is back for a second stint. Getting out of the group will be the first real test.
FIH Hockey World Cup Tournament Format
Sixteen teams are divided into four pools of four. Every team plays the other three in their pool once. The top two from each pool advance to the second round. The bottom two enter classification pools to determine final rankings from 9th to 16th place.
In the second round, the eight qualified teams split into Pool E and Pool F. Top two from Pool A and Pool D form Pool E. Top two from Pool B and Pool C form Pool F. Each team plays two new matches against opponents from a different original pool. Top two from each second round pool advance to the semifinals, then knockout from there.
The Groups
Pool A: Netherlands, Australia, Chile, Japan; playing in Amstelveen
Pool B: Argentina, Germany, USA, Scotland; playing in Wavre
Pool C: Belgium, Spain, New Zealand, Ireland; playing in Wavre
Pool D: China, England, India, South Africa; playing in Amstelveen
Read More: Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup Schedule
FIH Hockey World Cup Group Stage Schedule
All times in IST. India’s matches are highlighted in green.
| Date | Stage | Match | Venue | IST |
| 15 Aug | Pool A | Australia vs Japan | Amstelveen | 13:30 |
| 15 Aug | Pool B | Germany vs Scotland | Wavre | 15:00 |
| 15 Aug | Pool A | Netherlands vs Chile | Amstelveen | 19:30 |
| 15 Aug | Pool B | Argentina vs USA | Wavre | 21:00 |
| 16 Aug | Pool D | England vs South Africa | Amstelveen | 13:30 |
| 16 Aug | Pool D | China vs India | Amstelveen | 16:30 |
| 16 Aug | Pool C | Belgium vs New Zealand | Wavre | 21:00 |
| 17 Aug | Pool C | Spain vs Ireland | Wavre | 00:00 |
| 17 Aug | Pool A | Chile vs Japan | Amstelveen | 13:00 |
| 17 Aug | Pool B | USA vs Scotland | Wavre | 14:30 |
| 17 Aug | Pool B | Germany vs Argentina | Wavre | 20:30 |
| 17 Aug | Pool A | Australia vs Netherlands | Amstelveen | 21:30 |
| 18 Aug | Pool C | New Zealand vs Ireland | Wavre | 14:30 |
| 18 Aug | Pool D | England vs China | Amstelveen | 16:00 |
| 18 Aug | Pool D | India vs South Africa | Amstelveen | 18:30 |
| 19 Aug | Pool C | Spain vs Belgium | Wavre | 00:00 |
| 19 Aug | Pool A | Chile vs Australia | Amstelveen | 13:00 |
| 19 Aug | Pool B | Argentina vs Scotland | Wavre | 14:30 |
| 19 Aug | Pool B | USA vs Germany | Wavre | 17:30 |
| 19 Aug | Pool A | Netherlands vs Japan | Amstelveen | 21:30 |
| 20 Aug | Pool D | China vs South Africa | Amstelveen | 13:00 |
| 20 Aug | Pool C | New Zealand vs Spain | Wavre | 17:30 |
| 20 Aug | Pool D | India vs England | Amstelveen | 18:30 |
| 21 Aug | Pool C | Belgium vs Ireland | Wavre | 00:00 |
Second Round: Pool E and Pool F
Top two from Pool A and Pool D form Pool E, playing in Amstelveen. While,top two from Pool B and Pool C form Pool F, playing in Wavre. Top two from each pool advance to the semifinals.
| Date | Stage | Match | Venue | IST |
| 21 Aug | Pool E | 1st Pool D vs 2nd Pool A | Amstelveen | 18:30 |
| 21 Aug | Pool E | 1st Pool A vs 2nd Pool D | Amstelveen | 21:30 |
| 22 Aug | Pool F | 1st Pool C vs 2nd Pool B | Wavre | 21:00 |
| 23 Aug | Pool F | 1st Pool B vs 2nd Pool C | Wavre | 00:00 |
| 23 Aug | Pool E | 1st Pool A vs 1st Pool D | Amstelveen | 19:30 |
| 23 Aug | Pool E | 2nd Pool A vs 2nd Pool D | Amstelveen | 22:30 |
| 24 Aug | Pool F | 2nd Pool C vs 2nd Pool B | Wavre | 20:30 |
| 25 Aug | Pool F | 1st Pool C vs 1st Pool B | Wavre | 00:00 |
Classification Matches: Positions 9 to 16
Third and fourth placed teams from each group compete here to determine final rankings from 9th to 16th place.
| Date | Stage | Match | Venue | IST |
| 21 Aug | Class. | 3rd Pool D vs 4th Pool A | Amstelveen | 13:00 |
| 21 Aug | Class. | 3rd Pool A vs 4th Pool D | Amstelveen | 16:00 |
| 22 Aug | Class. | 3rd Pool C vs 4th Pool B | Wavre | 15:00 |
| 22 Aug | Class. | 3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool C | Wavre | 18:00 |
| 23 Aug | Class. | 4th Pool A vs 4th Pool D | Amstelveen | 13:30 |
| 23 Aug | Class. | 3rd Pool A vs 3rd Pool D | Amstelveen | 16:30 |
| 24 Aug | Class. | 4th Pool C vs 4th Pool B | Wavre | 14:30 |
| 24 Aug | Class. | 3rd Pool C vs 3rd Pool B | Wavre | 17:30 |
| 27 Aug | 13th-14th | 3rd Pool G vs 3rd Pool H | Amstelveen | 13:00 |
| 27 Aug | 15th-16th | 4th Pool G vs 4th Pool H | Wavre | 14:30 |
| 27 Aug | 11th-12th | 2nd Pool G vs 2nd Pool H | Amstelveen | 16:00 |
| 27 Aug | 9th-10th | 1st Pool G vs 1st Pool H | Wavre | 17:30 |
Semifinals and Final
| Date | Stage | Match | Venue | IST |
| 27 Aug | 5th-6th | 3rd Pool E vs 3rd Pool F | Amstelveen | 18:30 |
| 27 Aug | 7th-8th | 4th Pool E vs 4th Pool F | Wavre | 20:30 |
| 27 Aug | Semifinal 1 | 1st Pool E vs 2nd Pool F | Amstelveen | 21:30 |
| 28 Aug | Semifinal 2 | 1st Pool F vs 2nd Pool E | Wavre | 00:00 |
| 29 Aug | Bronze Medal | Loser SF1 vs Loser SF2 | Amstelveen | 16:30 |
| 29 Aug | Final | Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2 | Amstelveen | 19:30 |
India’s Chances In FIH Hockey World Cup
Pool D is the toughest draw India could have got. China are the reigning Asian champions and favourites to top the group. England beat India 2-0 in the World Cup qualifier final in Hyderabad just weeks ago. South Africa are the one team India should easily beat. August 16 against China and August 20 against England are the two matches that will define India’s campaign. Getting to the second round will be a significant achievement for Sjoerd Marijne’s India team. Stay tuned to GiveMeHockey for our in-depth analysis.
Where to Watch
All matches will be live streamed on Watch.Hockey globally. Fans can purchase a World Cup pass at watch.hockey. India broadcast details have not been confirmed yet. This article will be updated once an official Indian broadcaster is announced.
Note: All dates and times are in Indian Standard Time (IST). Second round and knockout fixtures show pool positions as teams are yet to be determined. This article will be updated as the tournament progresses.
Hockey does not always make the front page. If you want coverage that goes beyond the scoreline, subscribe on Substack. Every piece lands directly in your mailbox.
