Pakistan are set to return to the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup after an eight-year absence, with the complete tournament schedule, groups and Pakistan Standard Time (PST) match timings now confirmed.
The 2026 edition of the World Cup will be held across the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30, marking Pakistan’s first appearance at the prestigious event since 2018 after missing out on qualification for the 2023 tournament.
The four-time world champions secured their place at the World Cup by finishing as runners-up in the qualifiers earlier this year and will now look to make a strong return on hockey’s biggest stage.
The tournament will get underway on August 15 with India taking on Wales at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen. The match will begin at 1:00 PM local time, which corresponds to 4:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time.
Tournament format
A total of 16 teams have been divided into four pools of four teams each, with every side playing three group-stage matches.
The top two teams from each pool will advance to the second stage, where they will be split into two new groups. Teams will carry forward the points earned against fellow qualifiers from the opening stage before playing two additional matches against new opponents.
The top two teams from each second-stage pool will qualify for the semi-finals, while classification matches will determine the remaining positions.
FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 pools
Pool A: Netherlands, Argentina, New Zealand, Japan
Pool B: Belgium, Germany, France, Malaysia
Pool C: Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa
Pool D: England, India, Pakistan, Wales
Pakistan’s group-stage fixtures (PST)
- August 15: Pakistan vs England – 10:00 PM
- August 17: Pakistan vs Wales – 3:30 PM
- August 19: Pakistan vs India – 6:00 PM
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FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 schedule (PST)
August 15 (Saturday)
- India vs Wales – 4:00 PM
- Germany vs Malaysia – 5:30 PM
- England vs Pakistan – 10:00 PM
August 16 (Sunday)
- Belgium vs France – 12:00 AM
- Australia vs Ireland – 2:30 PM
- Spain vs South Africa – 5:30 PM
- Netherlands vs New Zealand – 7:00 PM
- Argentina vs Japan – 10:00 PM
August 17 (Monday)
- Pakistan vs Wales – 3:30 PM
- France vs Malaysia – 5:00 PM
- India vs England – 6:00 PM
- Germany vs Belgium – 11:30 PM
August 18 (Tuesday)
- New Zealand vs Japan – 12:30 PM
- Spain vs Australia – 5:00 PM
- Ireland vs South Africa – 8:00 PM
- Argentina vs Netherlands – 9:00 PM
August 19 (Wednesday)
- England vs Wales – 3:30 PM
- Pakistan vs India – 6:00 PM
- France vs Germany – 8:00 PM
- Belgium vs Malaysia – 11:30 PM
August 20 (Thursday)
- Australia vs South Africa – 2:00 PM
- New Zealand vs Argentina – 3:30 PM
- Ireland vs Spain – 8:00 PM
- Netherlands vs Japan – 9:00 PM
August 21 (Friday)
- Third Pool B vs Fourth Pool C – 2:00 PM
- Third Pool C vs Fourth Pool B – 5:00 PM
- First Pool C vs Second Pool B – 8:00 PM
- First Pool B vs Second Pool C – 11:30 PM
August 22 (Saturday)
- Third Pool A vs Fourth Pool D – 1:00 PM
- Third Pool D vs Fourth Pool A – 4:00 PM
- First Pool A vs Second Pool D – 7:00 PM
- First Pool D vs Second Pool A – 10:00 PM
August 23 (Sunday)
- Fourth Pool B vs Fourth Pool C – 2:30 PM
- Third Pool B vs Third Pool C – 5:30 PM
- First Pool B vs First Pool C – 8:30 PM
- Second Pool B vs Second Pool C – 11:30 PM
August 24 (Monday)
- Fourth Pool A vs Fourth Pool D – 12:30 PM
- Third Pool A vs Third Pool D – 3:30 PM
- Second Pool A vs Second Pool D – 6:00 PM
- First Pool A vs First Pool D – 9:00 PM
August 28 (Friday)
- Third Pool G vs Third Pool H – 12:30 PM
- Fourth Pool G vs Fourth Pool H – 2:00 PM
- Second Pool G vs Second Pool H – 3:30 PM
- First Pool G vs First Pool H – 5:00 PM
- Third Pool E vs Third Pool F – 6:00 PM
- Fourth Pool E vs Fourth Pool F – 8:00 PM
- Semi-final 1 – 9:00 PM
- Semi-final 2 – 11:30 PM
August 30 (Sunday)
- Third-place playoff – 5:00 PM
- Final – 7:30 PM
READ: Pakistan unveil 20-member squad for FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026
