The 16th FIH Hockey World Cup gets underway in the Netherlands and Belgium on Saturday, with Pakistan beginning its campaign against England in the opening round.

The tournament will be held from August 15 to 30 in Wavre, Belgium, and Amstelveen, the Netherlands.

Pakistan will face England in Pool D at Amsterdam’s Wagener Stadium, with the match scheduled to begin at 10pm Pakistan Standard Time.

The men’s tournament features 16 teams divided into four pools. Pool D comprises England, India, Pakistan and Wales.

The remaining pools are made up of Argentina, Japan, the Netherlands and New Zealand in Pool A; Belgium, France, Germany and Malaysia in Pool B; and Australia, Spain, Ireland and South Africa in Pool C.

Germany enter the men’s tournament as defending champions after winning the 2023 World Cup.

The 2026 edition features a revamped format, with the traditional quarterfinal stage removed and replaced by a second phase known as the “crossover pools”.

Following the opening pool stage, teams will be regrouped into four new pools — E, F, G and H — according to their positions in the first round. Each team will then play three additional matches.

Pakistan will face India in a highly anticipated Pool D clash on August 19 at the Wagener Stadium.

The India-Pakistan match is scheduled to start at 6pm Pakistan Standard Time.

The tournament will also feature the women’s World Cup, with 16 teams competing for the title.

The Netherlands are the defending women’s champions after winning the 2022 edition.