The FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup begins Saturday in Amstelveen, featuring a opening group-stage match between Pakistan and England. This matchup marks the start of the tournament campaign for both national teams.
The Netherlands and Belgium will co-host the 16th edition of the international field hockey tournament, scheduled from August 15-30. This joint hosting effort highlights a major global sports event featuring top national teams.
Germany enters the 16-nation tournament as the reigning titleholders, having defeated Belgium in the 2023 championship game in Odisha, India.
Pakistan historically claimed the championship in 1971, 1978, 1982, and 1994, whereas Australia, the Netherlands, and Germany have secured the trophy three times apiece.
The competing squads for the current tournament are organized into four distinct pools.
Pool ‘A’ contains Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and the Netherlands; pool ‘B’ comprises Belgium, France, Germany and Malaysia; and pool ‘C’ consists of Australia, Spain, Ireland and South Africa. A new crossover-pool format has replaced the traditional quarter-finals, with teams moving into pools E to H after the opening stage.
Pakistan are part of pool ‘D’ which, other than England, also includes India and Wales.
The Green Shirts are returning to the World Cup stage after an eight-year absence, following their failure to secure a spot in the 2023 tournament. Pakistan’s opening match against England will take place at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands. Following this opener, the squad—captained by Abu Bakr Mahmood—will compete against Wales on August 17, before heading into a highly anticipated showdown with traditional rivals India on August 19.
To prepare for the tournament, the four-time global champions utilized training sessions in the Netherlands to acclimate the players to European conditions. Their preparatory schedule included two warm-up matches, resulting in a 3-1 defeat against South Africa and a 2-1 bounce-back win over Japan.
The extreme heat has become a major talking point at the tournament, with temperatures in the Netherlands surging past 34 degrees Celsius. Nonetheless, weather conditions are projected to ease and become more comfortable over the next few days.
The Green Shirts face a highly demanding group-stage journey. Their previous run in the 2025–26 FIH Pro League was incredibly difficult, resulting in consecutive defeats against both England and India while losing all 16 fixtures across four international legs.
In previous World Cup tournaments, Pakistan and England have gone head-to-head on eight occasions. England maintains the historical advantage with four wins, while Pakistan has secured two victories, and the remaining two matches concluded in draws. One of Pakistan’s most memorable triumphs over England occurred during the 1998 World Cup, where they emerged victorious in a high-scoring 7-5 match.
Meanwhile, India is also scheduled to launch its tournament campaign on Saturday, matching up against Wales in Amstelveen. The Saturday opening-day lineup features additional Pool B fixtures, including Germany competing against Malaysia and Belgium taking on France.
