AMSTELVEEN, Netherlands (Kashmir English): England beat Pakistan 4-1 in their opening match at the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026.
The world number-three ranked English team dominated the game to secure all three points on the opening night.
This match marked Pakistan’s return to the world stage after missing out on the previous 2023 edition.
With England winning their opening game against Pakistan and India’s earlier 3-1 win over Wales, England and India take early control of Pool D.
The tournament will run from August 15 to August 30, 2026 and is being co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands. Both the men’s and women’s tournaments feature 16 teams competing across stadiums in Amstelveen (Netherlands) and Wavre (Belgium).
Pakistan is drawn in Pool D alongside India, England and Wales. The Green Shirts will play all of their pool stage matches at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands.
The remaining pool matches for the Green Shirts are scheduled as follows:
Monday, August 17 Pakistan vs Wales Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen
Wednesday, August 19 Pakistan vs India Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen
The tournament features a new structure instead of traditional quarterfinals.
The top two teams from Pool D move into Phase 2 (Pool E or F) to play three more matches from August 21 to August 24.
The bottom two teams enter classification groups (Pool G or H).
Semi-Finals
The top two teams from the second-phase crossover pools advance straight to the semi-finals on August 28.
Finals
The bronze-medal match and the World Cup final take place on August 30.
FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 schedule
The FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 is running from August 15 to August 30, 2026. Both the men’s and women’s tournaments feature 16 elite teams.
In Men’s tournament, unlike past editions, there are no crossover quarterfinals.
The initial round robin matches across Pools A, B, C, and D take place during August 15-20, featuring opening fixtures like India vs Wales, Germany vs Malaysia, and England vs Pakistan on August 15, followed by subsequent group games through August 20. The second round will run from August 21-24.
The women’s tournament mirrors the same dual group-stage blueprint, concluding one day earlier on August 29.
