Netherlands: Pakistan will begin their campaign at the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup on Saturday when they face England in their opening Pool D match at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen.
The 16th edition of the global tournament, being jointly hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30, features 16 teams competing for the world title.
Germany enter the tournament as defending champions after defeating Belgium in the 2023 final in Odisha, India. Pakistan, meanwhile, return to the World Cup after an eight-year absence. The Green Shirts missed the 2023 edition after failing to qualify.
Pakistan are four-time world champions, having lifted the trophy in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994. Australia, the Netherlands and Germany have each won the title three times.
The 16 teams have been divided into four pools. Pool A includes Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and hosts the Netherlands, while Belgium, France, Germany and Malaysia form Pool B. Pool C consists of Australia, Spain, Ireland and South Africa.
Pakistan are grouped in Pool D alongside England, India and Wales. Under the tournament’s new crossover format, the teams will move into subsequent pools after the opening stage instead of following the traditional quarter-final system.
After Saturday’s encounter with England, Pakistan will meet Wales on August 17 before taking on arch-rivals India on August 19.
The Pakistan squad, led by Abu Bakr Mahmood, has been using its stay in the Netherlands to acclimatise to local conditions. The team played warm-up matches against South Africa and Japan, losing 3-1 to South Africa before recovering with a 2-1 victory over Japan.
Weather conditions have also presented an additional challenge, with temperatures in the Netherlands recently rising above 34 degrees Celsius. Conditions are expected to become more moderate as the tournament progresses.
Pakistan face a demanding opening round, particularly after struggling against England and India in the 2025-26 FIH Pro League. The Green Shirts lost all 16 of their matches across four legs held in different countries.
Historically, England have enjoyed the advantage over Pakistan at the World Cup. The two sides have met eight times in the tournament, with England winning four matches, Pakistan claiming two victories and two encounters ending without a result.
One of Pakistan’s most memorable victories over England came at the 1998 World Cup, when they secured a thrilling 7-5 win.
India will also begin their World Cup campaign on Saturday, taking on Wales in Amstelveen. Elsewhere, Germany will face Malaysia, while Belgium will meet France in Pool B.
