India teams ready for Hockey World Cup 2026 challenge in Europe

The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 begins in Belgium and the Netherlands with India’s men’s and women’s teams aiming for historic achievements. The men look to end a five-decade title drought, while the women chase their maiden World Cup crown

Hyderabad: The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, starting on August 15 in Belgium and the Netherlands, will be broadcast live on JioHotstar and the Star Sports Network from 4:30 pm onwards. India’s men’s team will begin its campaign against Wales on Saturday, followed by the women’s team taking on China on Sunday, August 16.

For the Indian men’s hockey team, the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 presents an opportunity to end a wait of more than five decades. India’s last World Cup triumph came in 1975, but the team heads into this edition with renewed confidence after winning the 2025 Asia Cup.

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Belgium and the Netherlands, the co-hosts, will also be among the teams to watch, with strong squads and the advantage of playing on home turf. Australia, Germany and Argentina bring proven quality and tournament experience and could pose a strong challenge to India’s title ambitions.

For the Indian women’s team, the opportunity is equally significant, but for a different reason. India have never won the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup, making this a golden opportunity for the team to create a legacy of its own.

After three matches in the opening pool stage, the top two teams will advance to a second stage, where they will play two more games. Their head-to-head points from the first stage will be carried forward, making every result, point and goal potentially decisive in the race to the semifinals.

Key Detail: 

For Indian hockey fans, all 100 matches will be streamed live on JioHotstar, while India’s matches will be available with English and Hindi commentary on Star Sports channels.