The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has officially announced the schedule for the Hockey World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
The qualifying tournaments will be held in Egypt, India, and Chile. Chile will host both men’s and women’s events, while India will host only the women’s qualifiers.
The Pakistan men’s hockey team will participate in the qualifying round scheduled to take place in Ismailia, Egypt, from March 1 to March 7.
Alongside Pakistan, the tournament in Egypt will feature Egypt, England, Malaysia, Japan, Austria, China, and the United States.
Pakistan has been placed in Group B, where it will face China, Malaysia, and Austria. Pakistan’s match schedule is as follows:
March 1
Pakistan vs China
March 2
Pakistan vs Malaysia
March 3
Pakistan vs Austria
From the two men’s qualifying tournaments, three teams from each event will qualify directly for the Hockey World Cup. In addition, the best-ranked fourth-placed team across both tournaments will also secure qualification.
The Hockey World Cup 2026 will be held in August 2026 in Belgium and the Netherlands. A total of 16 teams will compete in the tournament. Belgium and the Netherlands have already qualified as host nations.
Several teams have already secured their World Cup spots through continental and international tournaments. Australia and Spain qualified by winning the Pro League, Argentina through the Pan American Cup, India via the Asia Cup, and New Zealand by winning the Oceania Cup.
Germany qualified through the European Championship, while South Africa secured qualification by winning the African Championship.
