The Women's FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 runs simultaneously alongside the men's tournament, using both Wagener Stadium (1182 AM Amstelveen) and Belfius Hockey Arena (1300 Wavre, Belgium) from August 15 to August 30, 2026. The women's tournament features the same 16-team, 4-pool format as the men's — with the defending women's World Cup champions, the Netherlands Oranje Dames, playing at home and targeting their 10th World Cup title in front of a vociferous home crowd at Wagener Stadium.
Women's pool groups — all 16 teams
| Pool A (Amstelveen) | Pool B (Wavre) | Pool C (Wavre) | Pool D (Amstelveen) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands (W #1) | 🇦🇷 Argentina (W #2) | 🇧🇪 Belgium (W #3) | 🇨🇳 China (W #7) |
| 🇦🇺 Australia (W #4) | 🇩🇪 Germany (W #5) | 🇪🇸 Spain (W #8) | 🇮🇳 India (W #9) |
| 🇯🇵 Japan (W #11) | 🏴 Scotland (W #16) | 🇳🇿 New Zealand (W #10) | 🏴 England (W #6) |
| 🇨🇱 Chile (W #14) | 🇺🇸 USA (W #15) | 🇮🇪 Ireland (W #13) | 🇿🇦 South Africa (W #12) |
Key women's matches to watch
- Netherlands vs Australia (Pool A, Amstelveen): The marquee group-stage clash — defending WC champions vs Olympic gold medalists. Scheduled August 17, 2026.
- Argentina vs Germany (Pool B, Wavre): Two tactically similar high-press teams with a rivalry dating to their 2018 WC semi-final. August 18, 2026.
- India vs England (Pool D, Amstelveen): India's women face England in a Pool D match that determines QF chances. August 17, 2026. IST-friendly timing.
- Women's Final — August 30, Wagener Stadium: Predicted matchup: Netherlands vs Argentina.
Where to watch Women's HWC 2026 in Pakistan and India
Women's matches in Pakistan: A-Sports HD carries most women's matches with Urdu commentary. Tamasha App streams all 48 women's matches. In India: JioHotstar and Star Sports 3 cover all women's matches — with Star Sports 1 reserving that slot for men's matches. DD Sports carries selected women's matches free-to-air. See the Women's Tournament hub, India schedule, and USA schedule for your team's fixtures.
Who will win the Women's Hockey World Cup 2026?
Netherlands Oranje Dames have won 9 of the previous 15 Women's World Cups — including the last two (2018 and 2022). Head coach Paul van Ass has refined their transition speed and penalty corner rotation at the Kampong Sports Complex in Utrecht (Churchilllaan 11, 3527 GV). Playing at home in Amstelveen, they are the clear favourites. Argentina (silver at 2022) under coach Mariana Agudo are the most likely challengers, with Germany and Australia capable of reaching the final. Prediction: Netherlands defeat Argentina 2–1 in the Final on August 30.