Pakistan’s hockey team has arrived in Amstelveen, Netherlands, as the national side prepares to make its first appearance at the FIH Hockey World Cup in eight years.
The Pakistan team was warmly welcomed upon arrival by officials from the Pakistani embassy in the Netherlands. The squad will take a day’s rest before beginning its training sessions on August 11 as preparations intensify for the global showpiece.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation has announced a 20-member squad for the tournament. The squad comprises Waqar, Muhammad Abdullah, Muhammad Sufyan Khan, Moeen Shakeel, Abdul Waheed Ashraf Rana, Abdul Hanan Shahid, Zakaria Hayat, Arshad Liaqat, Adil Latif, Ahmed Nadeem, Ghazanfar Ali, Ammad Shakeel Butt, Muhammad Hammaduddin Anjum, Rehman Abdul, Afraz, Umar Mustafa, Abu Bakar Mahmood (captain), Ali Raza, Abdul Manan and Muhammad Ammad.
Pakistan will enter the tournament with a rich World Cup legacy, having won the title a record four times. The Green Shirts lifted the trophy in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994.
Australia, the Netherlands and Germany have each won the World Cup three times. Australia claimed the title in 1968, 2010 and 2014, the Netherlands in 1973, 1990 and 1998, while Germany were champions in 2002, 2006 and 2023. India have won the tournament once, in 1975, while Belgium were crowned champions in 2018.
Pakistan Drawn in Pool D
Pakistan have been placed in Pool D alongside England, India and Wales.
The four pools for the 2026 Men's Hockey World Cup are:
Pool A: Argentina, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand
Pool B: Belgium, France, Germany, Malaysia
Pool C: Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa
Pool D: England, India, Pakistan, Wales
Pakistan are currently ranked 12th in the FIH World Rankings. England are ranked third, India eighth and Wales 15th.
Pakistan's World Cup Schedule
Pakistan will begin their campaign against England on August 15 before facing Wales and arch-rivals India.
Pakistan vs England — August 15, 10:00pm PKT
Pakistan vs Wales — August 17, 3:30pm PKT
Pakistan vs India — August 19, 6:00pm PKT
The clash against India is likely to be one of the most anticipated matches of the pool stage, with both teams looking to secure a place in the second stage.
How the World Cup Format Works
The 16 participating teams have been divided into four pools of four, with each team playing three matches in the opening stage.
The top two teams from each pool will advance to the Second Stage, while the teams finishing third and fourth will enter the Classification Stage for positions 9th to 16th.
The eight teams advancing to the Second Stage will be divided into two new pools of four. Each team will play two additional matches, while the result from the first stage against the team joining them in their new pool will also be carried over.
The top two teams from each Second Stage pool will qualify for the semi-finals, while the remaining four teams will compete for fifth to eighth place.
The World Cup will then move into the knockout phase, with the semi-finals followed by the final.
The men's final is scheduled to take place in Wavre, Belgium, on August 30.
For Pakistan, the journey begins with a return to the biggest stage in international hockey after an eight-year absence. With four World Cup titles in their history, the Green Shirts will be hoping to revive some of their former glory in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Comments
See what people are discussing