Lausanne [Switzerland], March 17 (ANI): An official draw ceremony held today 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 - has determined the eight Pools of the group stage of the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026, according to a release.

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.

The World Cup 2026 groupings:

Women:

Pool A: Netherlands, Australia, Chile, Japan (playing in the Netherlands)Pool B: Argentina, Germany, USA, Scotland (playing in Belgium)Pool C: Belgium, Spain, New Zealand, Ireland (playing in Belgium)Pool D: China, England, India, South Africa (playing in the Netherlands)

Men:

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

Today's milestone event was attended by FIH President Tayyab Ikram, FIH Vice-President and EuroHockey President Marcos Hofman, FIH Executive Board Member Erik Cornelissen, Dutch Hockey Federation President Erik Klein Nagelvoort, Belgian Hockey Federation President Patrick Keusters, the captains from the Netherlands (Renee van Laarhoven, Marijn Veenand, Thierry Brinkman and Lars Balk) and Belgium (Charlotte Englebert, Michelle Struijk, Arthur Van Doren and vice-captain Arthur De Sloover), the head coaches from the Netherlands (Raoul Ehren and Jeroen Delmee) and Belgium (Adam Commens and Shane McLeod), representatives from the local authorities, commercial partners and numerous other guests.

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' time.'

'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. I invite all fans around the world to join in, and I already wish all participating athletes an unforgettable experience,' he added.

Match schedule

The FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026 will be held in Amsterdam and Wavre from 15 to 30 August 2026. The full match schedule will be announced tomorrow, 18 March.

Mascots

Another important World Cup duo was revealed today: 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. (ANI)