India, Aug. 11 -- The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 is set to bring together 32 teams, with 16 men's and 16 women's sides competing from August 15 to 30 in Belgium and the Netherlands. The tournament will introduce a revamped format, with the traditional quarter-finals removed to create more decisive games. After the opening pool stage, the top two teams from Pools A and D will move into Crossover Pool E, while the leading sides from Pools B and C will form Pool F, carrying their head-to-head results forward. The top two teams from each crossover pool will then advance directly to the semi-finals.

In the men's competition, Pool D stands out as the Group of Death, featuring India, England, Pakistan and Wales, with India and Pakistan set to re...