Hockey World Cup 2026: Full match schedule, groups, India vs Pakistan
Pools, format, match schedule, timings, India vs Pakistan history and more before 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup. Click here to share on social media One
Pools, format, match schedule, timings, India vs Pakistan history and more before 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup. Click here to share on social media One of hockey’s fiercest rivalries will be renewed when India and Pakistan face-off in the upcoming 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup. The South Asian neighbours, who share a history of conflict and partition, are in the same group in the men’s edition of the World Cup, which begins on Saturday. Al Jazeera tells you everything you need to know before India vs Pakistan Where is the 2026 World Cup hockey being played? The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 will be jointly held in Wavre, Belgium and Amstelveen, The Netherlands, from August 15 to 30. Both the men’s and women’s editions will feature 16 teams each, divided into four pools. Germany are the defending men’s world champions from 2023, while the Netherlands are the women’s title holders from 2022. Which are the hockey World Cup pools? Men’s pools Pool A: Argentina, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand Pool B: Belgium, France, Germany, Malaysia Pool C: Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa Pool D: England, India, Pakistan, Wales Women’s pools Pool A: Australia, Chile, Japan, Netherlands Pool B: Argentina, Germany, Scotland, United States Pool C: Belgium, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand Pool D: China, England, India, South Africa What is the 2026 Hockey World Cup format? This year’s edition features a new format that removes the quarterfinal stage, replacing it with a second phase called the “crossover pools”. After the opening round – called the pool stage – the teams will again be grouped into four new pools – Pools E, F, G and H – based on their finishing positions in the first round.
Thus, they will play three additional matches. Pool E: 1st and 2nd place finishers from Pools A Pool F: 1st and 2nd place finishers from Pools B Pool G: 3rd and 4th place finishers from Pools A Pool H: 3rd and 4th place finishers from Pools B The top two teams from Pools E and F advance straight to the semifinals, while the others play classification matches (5th-16th positions). The action ends with the bronze-medal match and the final. When will India play Pakistan in the Hockey World Cup? India’s men’s hockey team will face Pakistan in a Pool D match on August 19. The match will be held at Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, The Netherlands, and starts at 15:00 local time (6:30pm in India and 6pm in Pakistan). When did India last play Pakistan in the Hockey World Cup? The upcoming contest is the first time in 16 years that India and Pakistan meet in the Hockey World Cup. They last met at the World Cup in the 2010 edition, in India’s capital New Delhi, where the hosts beat Pakistan 4-1 in a Pool match. India vs Pakistan head-to-head at Hockey World Cups India and Pakistan have met five times at a Hockey World Cup, with the Indians claiming three wins to Pakistan’s two. The only Hockey World Cup final between them was played in 1975, and ended in a 2-1 win for India. India 4-1 Pakistan, New Delhi 2010 Pakistan 3-2 India, London 1986 India 2-1 Pakistan, Kuala Lumpur 1975 India 1-0 Pakistan, Amsterdam 1973 Pakistan 2-1 India, Barcelona 1971 How many Hockey World Cups have India and Pakistan won? Pakistan are the most successful men’s team in the Hockey World Cup, with four titles: 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994.
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