Pakistan and England’s men’s hockey teams secured qualification for the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 after winning their respective semifinals at the qualifying tournament in Ismailia, Egypt, on Friday.
England sealed its spot with a commanding 7-1 win over Malaysia, while Pakistan edged past Japan 4-3 with a late winner. The two sides will face each other in Saturday’s final.
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Malaysia and Japan will meet in the bronze medal playoff on Saturday, with the winner also earning qualification for the World Cup. In addition, the highest-ranked fourth-placed team across all qualifying tournaments will secure a place at the event.
In another match played in Ismailia, Egypt registered a 4-0 win over Austria and will take on China in the playoff for fifth place.
Pakistan and England join India, Germany, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands and Australia as the teams that have qualified for the tournament.
With 11 participants confirmed for the 16-team World Cup, just five spots remain up for grabs.
Published on Mar 06, 2026
