Lausanne (Switzerland), Mar 16 (UNI) Following two weeks of intense and thrilling hockey at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers, during which no fewer than 14 teams secured their place at the most prestigious FIH event, the next major milestone on the road to the upcoming World Cup is just around the corner.
Indeed, the official draw ceremony, at which all 32 qualified teams will discover their opponents for the group stage, is scheduled for March 17, at 3pm CET, at the iconic Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
This is one of the two venues where the World Cup will be held, alongside the brand-new Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre, Belgium.
The ceremony – which will be live-streamed on Watch.Hockey – will be attended by FIH President Tayyab Ikram, FIH Vice-President and EuroHockey President Marcos Hofman, FIH Executive Board Member Erik Cornelissen, Dutch Hockey Federation President Erik Klein Nagelvoort, Belgian Hockey Federation President Patrick Keusters, head coaches and captains from the Dutch and Belgian national teams, former international hockey stars, representatives from the local authorities, commercial partners and numerous other guests.
It will offer an exciting blend of sporting excellence and musical entertainment! The draw will determine the four pools of four teams each (per gender) for the World Cup group stage.
The following teams are qualified:
Women: Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Argentina, USA, Spain, New Zealand, China, South Africa, Chile, Australia, Ireland, Japan, England, India and Scotland.
Men: Belgium, Netherlands, Australia, Spain, Argentina, Germany, New Zealand, India, South Africa, England, Pakistan, Japan, Malaysia, Ireland, France and Wales.
The FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026 will be held in Amsterdam and Wavre from August 15 to 30.
In 2022, the Netherlands’ women secured their ninth title in 15 editions, further enhancing their impressive World Cup record.
Meanwhile, the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 saw Germany’s men crowned champions for the third time.
