FIH Announces World Cup 2026 Schedule After Amsterdam Draw
Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH) has confirmed the world cup 2026 schedule following the group-draw ceremony held yesterday at Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam. The tournament will be staged in Belgium and the Netherlands from 15 to 30 August (ET). The announcement gives teams and fans the match-day map, venue assignments and ticketing and live-stream guidance ahead of the event.
World Cup 2026 Schedule
The FIH released the match schedule after the draw, pairing teams into pools and mapping specific pool venues. Pool D’s men’s fixtures will be played at Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam and include England, India, Pakistan and Wales. Pool C’s men’s lineup places Australia, Spain, Ireland and South Africa together, with Ireland based in Wavre, Belgium for their matches. Scotland’s men will face a challenging Pool B against Argentina, Germany and the USA; Ireland and Scotland will play in Wavre. The defending men’s champions Germany were drawn against Belgium, France and Malaysia. On the women’s side, the holders the Netherlands will meet Australia, Chile and Japan, while England’s women are based in Amsterdam and will play China, India and South Africa in Pool D.
The world cup 2026 schedule announcement also confirms the tournament window — 15 to 30 August (ET) — giving national teams, broadcasters and fans a fixed timeline to finalize preparations.
Immediate reactions
Voices from the game reflected history and intensity as the pools settled. Ashok Kumar, former India forward and 1975 World Cup-winning goalscorer, recalled the weight of past India–Pakistan clashes: “The political situation between both countries was terrible then and due to some statements made by their leaders against India, the inaugural World Cup was moved from Pakistan to Spain. ” He added, “In 1971, we lost to Pakistan [1-2] in the semis. To be honest, there was an uneasy calm in the air between the players from either side. ” Kumar’s comments underline how the draw — which places India and Pakistan together in Pool D alongside England and Wales — carries historical resonance as well as sporting significance.
Quick context
The draw ceremony took place at Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam and the FIH confirmed the match schedule immediately after. The competition will run across host cities in Belgium and the Netherlands from 15 to 30 August (ET), with pool venues assigned to concentrate groups for the pool stage.
What’s next
Fixture-level details and match-by-match kick-off times are scheduled to be released imminently; fixture details will be announced on Wednesday (ET). Teams will now finalise travel, training bases and ticket plans ahead of the group stage, while fans are being directed to secure tickets and broadcast passes through the channels named by the FIH. Expect schedules to be followed by venue-specific timetables and operational notices as organisers prepare stadia across Belgium and the Netherlands for the August window. The confirmed world cup 2026 schedule sets the clock running toward what promises to be a tightly packed, high-stakes tournament.
