Arch-rivals India and Pakistan are set to lock horns at the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup after the two were drawn in Pool D of the quadrennial event on Tuesday.
England and Wales are the other two teams in the group. The World Cup is scheduled to take place in August this year in Belgium and the Netherlands.
India and Pakistan last faced each other during the Asian Champions Trophy in 2024, where the former prevailed 2-1. Though India has had the upper hand recently, Pakistan still holds an edge in the overall head-to-head record.
The two teams will also face off in the FIH Pro League just before the World Cup.
Olympic champion Netherlands was drawn in Pool A along with Argentina, New Zealand and Japan. Defending champion Germany is in Pool B besides Belgium, France and Malaysia.
FIH Men’s World Cup – Pools
- Pool A: Netherlands, Argentina, New Zealand, Japan (playing in the Netherlands)
- Pool B: Belgium, Germany, France, Malaysia (playing in Belgium)
- Pool C: Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa (playing in Belgium)
- Pool D: England, India, Pakistan, Wales (playing in the Netherlands)
Tough group for women’s team
The Indian women’s team was also put in Pool D and will take on Asian heavyweight China, England and South Africa.
Sjoerd Marijne-led side had lost 0-2 to England during the final of the recently concluded World Cup Qualifiers in Hyderabad.
FIH Women’s World Cup – Pools
- Pool A: Netherlands, Australia, Chile, Japan (playing in the Netherlands)
- Pool B: Argentina, Germany, USA, Scotland (playing in Belgium)
- Pool C: Belgium, Spain, New Zealand, Ireland (playing in Belgium)
- Pool D: China, England, India, South Africa (playing in the Netherlands)
Published on Mar 17, 2026
