Mumbai, March 17 (IANS) Traditional rivals India and Pakistan have been grouped in the same Pool D for the Men's FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 and will play their matches in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in the event jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands. Matches will be played in Amsterdam and Wavre (Belgium) from August 15 to 30, 2026.

England and Wales are the other teams in Pool D in the 16-team draw in which teams have been divided in four groups of four each. It's a tough draw for India as they will have to top England and Pakistan to bag the direct spot in the quarterfinals, while the second and third placed teams in each ground will participate in the Cross-Over matches to clinch their berths in the top-eight stage.

In the Women's FIH World Cup, which will be held on the same dates by Belgium and the Netherlands, Indian women will again face England, along with Asian champions China, and African champions South Africa in Pool D.

The Indian women's hockey team had lost 0-2 to England in the final and finished second in the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers played in Hyderabad, Telangana, a couple of days back. The two sides will meet again in the main event.

An exciting official draw ceremony was held on Tuesday at the iconic Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands - one of the two venues where the upcoming World Cup will be held, alongside the brand-new Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre, Belgium. It determined the eight Pools, for men's and women's sections, of the group stage of the FIH Hockey World Cup, Belgium and Netherlands 2026:

The draw threw up the most interesting match-up of the Men's World Cup, with the 1975 winner India placed in the same Pool with traditional rivals and four-time champions Pakistan.

This will be the first time that India and Pakistan will be meeting in the first round of the Hockey World Cup since the 2010 edition in New Delhi. India had defeated Pakistan 4-1 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.

Pakistan failed to qualify for the 2014 edition, and though they made it to the 2018 edition, in Bhubaneswar, India and Pakistan were in separate groups for the first round, and while India qualified for the quarterfinals, Pakistan lost to Belgium in the Cross-Over stage. Pakistan did not qualify for the 2023 edition that was held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.

Meanwhile, in the men's competition, defending champions Germany will face hosts and former winner Belgium, neighbours France, and Malaysia in Pool B, while the Netherlands have to contend with Argentina, New Zealand, and Japan in Pool A.

The draw was done by international hockey legends Naomie van As, Barbara Neelen, and Teun de Nooijer, as well as DJ La Fuente, who was announced as Dutch Ambassador for the World Cup during the ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, FIH President Tayyab Ikram said: “Today’s draw marks another major milestone on the road to the most prestigious FIH event, the FIH Hockey World Cup! The upcoming edition, for both women and men, co-hosted by two hockey powerhouses, promises to be a resounding success. We are very grateful to both Belgium and the Netherlands for hosting our top athletes and the global hockey community in less than six months.

"In today’s fractured world, sport—and events such as this in particular—can play a substantial role in bringing people together. It can foster peace at times when our world is torn apart by conflict," the FIH quoted Tayyab Ikram as saying in a release.

The full match schedule for both the men's and women's World Cup will be on Wednesday (March 18).

Mascots unveiled

Another important World Cup duo was revealed on Tuesday: two playful and energetic mascots, representing the joy, teamwork, and energy of hockey! One per gender. Round - just like a hockey ball and like our world - they symbolise how hockey brings people together from every corner of the globe. A campaign will soon be launched to invite fans to give names to these mascots.

The Groupings:

Men:

Pool A: Netherlands, Argentina, New Zealand, Japan (Will play in the Netherlands)

Pool B: Belgium, Germany, France, Malaysia (Belgium)

Pool C: Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa (Belgium)

Pool D: England, India, Pakistan, Wales (Netherlands)

Women:

Pool A: Netherlands, Australia, Chile, Japan (will play in the Netherlands)

Pool B: Argentina, Germany, USA, Scotland (Belgium)

Pool C: Belgium, Spain, New Zealand, Ireland (Belgium)

Pool D: China, England, India, South Africa (Netherlands).

--IANS

bsk/