Hockey World Cup: All you need to know about new format as QFs scrapped

The 2026 Hockey World Cup will run with a revised format after the FIH removed the quarterfinal stage. The change puts greater weight on pool results and makes each match crucial in the run-in to the semi-finals.India will be looking to end their semi-final jinx this time around (Courtesy: PTI)It is hockey World Cup season as the men's and women's teams head to the Netherlands and Belgium aiming to secure the top honours. The men's and women's editions will be held simultaneously for the first time since 1998, and the matches will begin on August 15. The women's final and bronze medal match will be held on August 29.The final of the men's edition and the third-place game will take place a day later. With some of the best hockey talents on show, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has decided to make a tweak to the format of both tournaments.The quarterfinals have been officially scrapped, and instead, they have brought in two phases for the tournaments. So how does the new format work? Here's all you need to know about it.How does the new FIH World Cup format work? From four pools in phase one to the final showdown, here’s everything you need to know about the format of the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026 . Star Select 2 (SD+HD) + Khel & JioHotstar and DD Sports pic.twitter.com/nvmUnzr9Ua— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) August 11, 2026PHASE 1Women: 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)The competition will open with the Pool Stage, with the 16 teams in each event split across four groups — A, B, C and D. Teams in each group will face every other side once, giving them three matches each. Their results across these fixtures will decide the final standings within their respective pools, from first through fourth.PHASE 2Once the opening phase concludes, the teams will be redistributed into four fresh pools — E, F, G and H — according to where they finished in their respective Phase 1 groups.Pool E: Teams finishing 1st and 2nd in Pools A and DPool F: Teams finishing 1st and 2nd in Pools B and CPool G: Teams finishing 3rd and 4th in Pools A and DPool H: Teams finishing 3rd and 4th in Pools B and CTeams will then play three more matches in Phase 2, facing opponents they did not meet in the opening stage. However, the result from the Phase-1 fixture between the two teams that progress from the same original pool will be carried over into the second phase.PHASE 3The final standings in Pools E, F, G and H will determine the classification fixtures for teams competing for positions 5th through 16th. The teams finishing last in pools G and H will face off in the 15th-16th playoff. The third-place sides will compete in the 13-14 playoff match.The second-place teams will battle for the 11th and 12th places, and then the sides that finish first in both the groups compete for the 9th and 10th spots.The teams finishing fourth in E and F will face off for the 7th and 8th spots and then the third-place sides will compete to finish 5th and 6th.At the top end, the two highest-ranked teams from Pools E and F will secure places in the semi-finals.The semi-final match-ups will be:1st in Pool E vs 2nd in Pool F1st in Pool F vs 2nd in Pool EUnder the revised format, finishing in the top two of Pools E or F will therefore guarantee a route into the semi-finals.MEDAL MATCHESThe women’s tournament will reach its climax in the Netherlands on August 29, with the bronze medal playoff followed by the final.A day later, on August 30, the men’s competition will come to an end in Belgium, with the bronze medal match preceding the title decider.- EndsPublished On: Aug 11, 2026 19:34 IST