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FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 ticket sales begin

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The world's best hockey nations, 16 in the men's competition and the same number in the women's, will compete for the world title in Belgium and the Netherlands in August next year during the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026. The exact match times for both host countries in the group stages were announced today, which also marks the start of the first phase of ticket sales. For the Netherlands, the iconic Wagener Stadion in Amsterdam will be the home base. The Red Lions and Red Panthers will play their group matches in Waver, in the brand-new Belfius Hockey Arena.

The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 will take place from August 15 to 30, 2026, and will be a unique collaboration between hockey powerhouses Belgium and the Netherlands, respectively the men's vice world champions and the reigning women's world champions, and the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Half of the matches will be played in Waver, Belgium, and the other half in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. For only the third time in history, both the Men's and Women's World Cups will take place simultaneously and in the same stadiums; the previous times were in Utrecht (1998) and The Hague (2014), also on Dutch soil.

Belgium is hosting the FIH Hockey World Cup for the first time. In fact, the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup will be the first ever world championship for a team sport in French-speaking Belgium. Of course, this is not the first time Belgium has organized major international hockey tournaments. With the 2013 (Boom) and 2019 (Antwerp) European Championships, the 2021 European Junior Championships in Ghent, and six seasons of the FIH Hockey Pro League, Belgium has proven to be a reliable and innovative host.

16 of the 32 participants already known 

16 men's and 16 women's teams will participate in the FIH World Cup 2026. In addition to Belgium and the Netherlands, Argentina, China, Germany, New Zealand, Spain, and the United States have already secured their participation in the women's tournament. In the men's competition, Argentina, Australia, Germany, India, New Zealand, and Spain have already secured their tickets alongside the host countries. In October, after the African continental championships, we will also know the African representatives in the men's and women's competitions. The other participants will come from the qualifying tournaments that will be played in early 2026. 
New competition format

The final tournament will be played according to a new competition format. The countries will be divided into four groups of four. After the first group stage, the top two from each group will advance to a second group stage: the winner and runner-up from groups A and D will form the new group E. The same will happen in groups B and C, which will result in the new group F. Similar to the numbers one and two, the numbers three and four will also form new groups after the first group stage: groups G and H.

In the second group stage, each country will play two more matches against the two ‘new’ countries in the pool. The result achieved against the country already played in the first group stage will also count towards the final ranking of the new pool. The best two teams from the new groups E and F will advance to the semi-finals. The third and fourth-placed teams will play placement matches for rankings 5 to 8. The countries from groups G and H will compete for places 9 to 16.

Both in Waver and Amsterdam, one semifinal will be played for the men and one for the women. This will be followed by the finals: the women's final on Saturday, August 29, in Amsterdam, and the men's final on Sunday, August 30, in Waver.

 

‘Together for Glory’

The slogan for the event – ‘Together for Glory’ – was also unveiled today. It perfectly captures the unique character of this edition of the FIH Hockey World Cup. 'Together' refers to the fact that the event includes both the women's and men's tournaments and that everything takes place in the same stadiums. This also emphasizes the fundamental principle of the FIH and the Belgian and Dutch Hockey Federations: integrating and promoting gender equality in all events and activities.

In addition, winning the FIH Hockey World Cup, the FIH's event of events, is the ultimate accolade. Legends are born during the FIH Hockey World Cup. And all of this is inextricably linked to moments of glory. Holding that trophy aloft is every hockey player's dream.

 

Draw in March 2026

In March 2026, after the final qualifying matches, all participating countries in the FIH Hockey World Cup will be known and the draw will take place. All teams will then know their opponents and in which city they will play for the first ten days of the tournament.


Diversity and inclusion in the spotlight

Coinciding with the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, the FIH ParaHockey World Cup will be organized for the first time, specifically for athletes with intellectual disabilities. This is a historic moment that underlines the power of diversity and inclusion. The finals will take place in the same stadiums, in Waver and Amsterdam.

 

Belfius Hockey Arena & Wagener Stadion

The Red Lions and Red Panthers will play their group matches of the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 in the brand-new national hockey stadium in Waver, which will officially be called the Belfius Hockey Arena from today. It is a modern, permanent hockey stadium with 4,000 permanent seats. For the World Cup, this will be expanded to 10,000 seats on a one-off basis. Construction of the stadium will be completed by the end of 2025. Belfius, global partner of the FIH Hockey World Cup in Belgium, will be associated with this new Belgian hockey hotspot for the next five years.

The Dutch women's and men's hockey teams will play their group matches in the iconic Wagener Stadion in Amsterdam, which will be temporarily expanded especially for this World Cup to accommodate more than 10,000 visitors. During the group stage, four matches will be played daily in both the Wagener Stadion and the Belfius Hockey Arena, but that's not all. There will be a real festival atmosphere around the stadiums: a fan zone, performances by top artists, delicious food and drinks, fun shops, and all kinds of hockey activities. In the Netherlands, you can also enjoy spectacular Hockey5s matches. In short, a total experience for both true hockey fans and anyone who loves sports.

 

When are the Netherlands and Belgium playing?

Netherlands matches, in Amsterdam:

First group stage:

  • Saturday, August 15, 2026 – 4:00 p.m. (W)
  • Sunday, August 16, 2026 – 4:00 p.m. (M)
  • Monday, August 17, 2026 – 6:00 p.m. (W)
  • Tuesday, August 18, 2026 – 6:00 p.m. (M)
  • Wednesday, August 19, 2026 – 6:00 p.m. (W)
  • Thursday, August 20, 2026 – 6:00 p.m. (M)


Second group stage:

  • Friday, August 21, 2026 – 6:00 p.m. (W)
  • Saturday, August 22, 2026 – 4:00 p.m. (M)
  • Sunday, August 23, 2026 – 4:00 p.m. (W)
  • Monday, August 24, 2026 – 6:00 p.m. (M)

 

Belgium matches, in Waver:

First group stage:

  • Saturday, August 15, 2026 – 9:00 p.m. (M)
  • Sunday, August 16, 2026 – 5:30 p.m. (W)
  • Monday, August 17, 2026 – 8:30 p.m. (M)
  • Tuesday, August 18, 2026 – 8:30 p.m. (W)
  • Wednesday, August 19, 2026 – 8:30 p.m. (M)
  • Thursday, August 20, 2026 – 8:30 p.m. (W)


Second group stage:

  • Friday, August 21, 2026 – 8:30 p.m. (M)
  • Saturday, August 22, 2026 – 5:30 p.m. (W)
  • Sunday, August 23, 2026 – 5:30 p.m. (M)
  • Monday, August 24, 2026 – 8:30 p.m. (W)

Fans from Belgium, the Netherlands, or anywhere else in the world can already buy tickets: day tickets valid for all matches at either location on that day. Tickets for the semi-finals and finals are also already available for purchase. Tickets for the matches in the Netherlands can be purchased at hockeyworldcup2026.nl/tickets. For the matches in Belgium, tickets can be purchased at hockeyworldcup2026.be.