The day after the draw in Amsterdam, the full fixture list for the first round of the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup was announced on Wednesday. The World Cup will take place in Belgium and the Netherlands from 15 to 30 August. On the opening day, the Red Lions will face France. The Red Panthers will play their first match against New Zealand on 16 August. All matches on Belgian soil will be played at the brand-new Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre.
The Red Lions have been drawn in Group B and will play their first group match against France on Saturday 15 August at 9 p.m., straight after the festive opening ceremony. Two days later, on Monday 17 August at 8.30 p.m., their opponents will be the reigning World Champions Germany. In their final group match of the first round, the Belgian men’s national hockey team will take on Malaysia. That match will kick off on Wednesday 19 August at 8.30 p.m.
For the Red Panthers, who are in Group C, the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup begins on Sunday 16 August at 5.30 p.m. with a dual against New Zealand. Spain will be the Belgian women’s next opponents on Tuesday 18 August at 8.30 p.m. On Thursday 20 August (8.30 p.m.), the Red Panthers will conclude the first round with a match against Ireland.
All matches in Group C of the men’s tournament (Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa) and Group B of the women’s tournament (Argentina, Germany, United States, Scotland) will also be played in Wavre.
The Netherlands, co-host of the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup, will play all its matches at the Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam. The Dutch men’s team will face Argentina, New Zealand and Japan in Group A. The Dutch women are also in Group A, where they will face Australia, Chile and Japan. All matches in Group D (men: England, India, Pakistan, Wales; women: China, England, India, South Africa) will also be played in Amsterdam.
Competition Format
After the first group stage, the top two teams from each group advance to a second group stage: the winner and runner-up of Groups A and D together form the new Group E. The same applies to Groups B and C, which merge to form the new Group F. By analogy with the top two teams, the third and fourth-placed teams also form new groups after the first group stage: Groups G and H.
In this second group stage, each country plays two further matches, against the two ‘new’ countries in the group. The result achieved against the country they had already played in the first group stage also counts towards the final standings of the new group. The top two teams from the new Groups E and F advance to the semi-finals. Teams number 3 and 4 will play placement matches for rankings 5 to 8. The countries from groups G and H will compete for places 9 to 16.
In the second group stage, the Red Lions and Red Panthers will also play all their matches in Wavre.
Both in Wavre and Amsterdam, one semi-final for the men and one for the women will be played. This will naturally be followed by the finals: the women’s final in Amsterdam on Saturday 29 August, and the men’s final in Wavre on Sunday 30 August.
Video explanation competition format >>
Tayyab Ikram, President of the International Hockey Federation (FIH): “The draw for the first group stage is yet another milestone on the road to the International Hockey Federation’s premier event, the FIH Hockey World Cup. The upcoming edition, organised by two hockey powerhouses Belgium and the Netherlands, has everything it takes to be a great success. In today’s divided world, sport – and certainly an event like this – can play a vital role in bringing people together. I invite fans from all over the world to join in the celebrations and wish all participating athletes an unforgettable experience right from the start!”
When are the Red Lions & Red Panthers playing?
Belgium’s matches, in Wavre:
First group stage:
Saturday 15 August 2026 – 9.00 p.m. (M): Belgium v France
Sunday 16 August 2026 – 5.30 p.m. (F): Belgium v New Zealand
Monday 17 August 2026 – 8.30 p.m. (M): Belgium v Germany
Tuesday 18 August 2026 – 8.30 p.m. (W): Belgium v Spain
Wednesday 19 August 2026 – 8.30 p.m. (M): Belgium v Malaysia
Thursday 20 August 2026 – 8.30 p.m. (W): Belgium v Ireland