The 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup opened across Belgium and the Netherlands on Saturday, with defending men's champion Germany beating Malaysia 5-1 and India defeating Wales 3-1. In the first completed women's matches, Germany won 3-0 against Scotland and Australia beat Japan 2-0, according to the International Hockey Federation's official results service.
The tournament brings the men's and women's World Cups together from August 15 to 30, with 16 teams in each competition. Matches are divided between the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre, Belgium, and the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands, making the opening day a two-country programme involving teams from Europe, Asia and Oceania.
Germany's five-goal start against Malaysia produced the widest margin among the first four completed games and immediately gave the defending champion a strong position in men's Pool B. India also collected three points in Pool D, while Wales stayed within two goals on its return to the sport's global showpiece. The FIH tournament tracker listed India's Harmanpreet Singh as the early leading scorer with two goals after the match.
In the women's competition, Germany began Pool B without conceding against Scotland, while Australia also kept a clean sheet against Japan in Pool A. Those results placed both winners in an early favorable position, although every side still faces two more first-phase matches before the tournament moves to its second stage.
The FIH says 32 national teams are taking part across the two competitions. Germany entered the men's event as the holder after winning the 2023 title, while the Netherlands arrived as the reigning women's champion. The joint staging is intended to put both elite competitions on the same platforms, with the two host countries sharing matches rather than using a single central venue.
Opening-day play was continuing with further women's matches and later men's fixtures, including England against Pakistan and co-host Belgium against France. Pool play continues through August 20 before the next phase begins, and the tournament concludes on August 30, when the men's and women's world champions will have been decided.
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