New Delhi: A strong start will be crucial for India at the 2026 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup, according to chief coach Craig Fulton, as the tournament introduces a revamped format that eliminates the quarter-finals and places greater importance on results in the opening pool stage.
The 16th edition of the FIH Men’s and Women’s Hockey World Cup will be jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands from August 15 to 30.
Under the new format, the tournament’s traditional quarter-finals have been removed, creating a different route to the title and increasing the importance of every pool match.
Fulton believes India’s opening games could have a significant bearing on its chances of reaching the semi-finals.
“The format of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup has changed significantly, with the quarter-finals no longer part of the competition.
That makes the pool matches extremely important because only the top two teams will progress to the next stage,” Fulton said.
He added that results from the first stage will carry considerable importance into the second phase. “The result between two teams becomes very important because if one team beats another, the three points earned from that victory in the pool stage will carry forward.
That puts you in a stronger position to progress from the next group and reach the semi-finals,” he explained.
Fulton also stressed the importance of maintaining a strong goal difference and defensive discipline throughout the opening phase.”Of course, it is different.
It is neither good nor bad. If we make a strong start, we can make this new format work in our favour. We need to manage our goal difference,” he said.
Under the revised system, teams are ranked primarily according to the number of wins, with goal difference used as the next criterion. In case of a draw in the number of wins, goal difference becomes particularly important.India Drawn in Pool DIndia’s men’s team has been placed in Pool D alongside England, Pakistan and Wales.
The four teams will play each other once during the opening phase from August 15 to 20.The women’s Indian team has also been drawn in Pool D, alongside China, England and South Africa.The new format features 16 teams in both the men’s and women’s competitions, divided into four opening pools of four teams each. Unlike previous editions, there will be no quarter-finals.
At the end of the opening phase, teams will be redistributed into four new pools based on their finishing positions.Second StagePool E will consist of the teams finishing first and second in Pools A and D, while Pool F will comprise the top two teams from Pools B and C.Pool G will contain the teams finishing third and fourth in Pools A and D, while Pool H will feature the third- and fourth-placed teams from Pools B and C.The second stage will be played from August 21 to 24. Each team will play three matches against opponents it did not face in the opening stage.
The result against the other team advancing from its original pool will also be carried forward. The top two teams from Pools E and F will advance to the semi-finals.
Marijne Calls Women’s Format a New Challenge
Indian women’s team chief coach Sjoerd Marijne described the revised World Cup format as an interesting challenge while acknowledging that he preferred the traditional system featuring quarter-finals.”The new format of the Women’s Hockey World Cup is interesting, but I personally prefer the quarter-final format. Quarter-finals are among the most exciting matches in a tournament,” Marijne said.
He noted that higher-ranked teams could potentially favour the new system, but stressed that India would focus on making the most of the opportunities it provides.”The format is what it is, and we have to deal with it and try to take maximum advantage of the opportunities it offers. I always think about opportunities, and there are opportunities in this format as well,” he added.
Road to the Semi-Finals
The semi-finals will be played on August 27 and 28. The winner of Pool E will face the second-placed team from Pool F, while the winner of Pool F will take on the runner-up from Pool E.Teams in Pools G and H will compete for positions from fifth to 16th.The women’s World Cup final and bronze-medal match will be played in the Netherlands on August 29, while the men’s final and third-place match will take place in Belgium on August 30.
With every early result potentially influencing the next stage, India’s campaign will demand consistency from the opening whistle. For Fulton, the message is clear: a strong start could provide India with the foundation needed to navigate the new format and make a serious push for the World Cup semi-finals.
