The 2026 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup will feature 16 teams that have been split into four pools of four, and will be played throughout August.

Matches will be held across Belgium and the Netherlands, with the event beginning with a clash between Australia and Japan on Saturday, August 15 (17:00 AEST). 

The tournament comes to a climax with the final played on Sunday, August 30 (23.30 AEST).

Quick Picks

Our pick: Belgium to win

Value bet: Netherlands in the each-way

Long shot: Spain in the each-way

Betting Preview

Belgium enter as the world’s number 1 side and Pro League champions. 

However, they might not have this tournament all their own way. Co-host Netherlands, defending champions Germany, England and Australia will make this one of the most open and intriguing World Cups in recent memory.

The four pools are as follows:

• Pool A: Netherlands, Argentina, New Zealand, Japan
• Pool B: Belgium, Germany, France, Malaysia
• Pool C: Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa
• Pool D: India, England, Pakistan, Wales

A new format is in place for this year’s edition, with the initial pools feeding into a second group stage from August 21.

he top two from each second-stage group will progress directly to the semi-finals, meaning there are no quarter-finals. 

Crucially, when two sides advance from the same original pool, their head-to-head result carries forward.

Betting Markets to Watch

The 2026 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup is hugely open in terms of favourites, with many nations in with a chance of capturing the title this year. Belgium are the world No. 1 , and were dominant 2025-26 Pro League champions. 

Remember, too, they’ll also have the co-host advantage, which could help them get over the line.

Germany’s combination of championship experience and younger entrants makes them especially dangerous in elimination matches. Their 20-player group contains nine 2023 world champions.

The Dutch are on the scene with plenty of home support and players such as Thierry Brinkman, Duco Telgenkamp, Jip Janssen and Tijmen Reyenga.

Australia head into the tournament fourth in the rankings and always possess a title-winning transition game, although their pairing alongside Spain and Ireland could make the group stage somewhat tricky.

Spain can always considered to be a dangerous side. In the 2025-26 Pro League, Spain scored 39 goals, with 23 from open play, 15 from penalty corners and one penalty stroke. 

José Basterra scored nine, Pepe Cunill eight and Nicolás Álvarez seven, highlighting the depth and attacking quality they possess.

Our Prediction

Check the latest hockey betting odds at Sportsbet.

Our pick is that Belgium will be the likely winners , as their ranking, recent Pro League dominance and home familiarity gives them the slight edge and a potential advantage over the other nations.

In terms of value, co-hosts Netherlands have the most compelling argument. They have Olympic champions, genuine goal threat and are also playing in a home tournament, which could help them to lift the title.

Spain are our long shot, as they have shown consistent quality recently, including a 5-2 victory over Germany in Berlin in June. Germany are the reigning World Cup and European champions.