The world's best hockey teams are heading to Belgium and the Netherlands for the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup, taking place from 15 to 30 August. For Belgium, the tournament will be centred on Wavre (Walloon Brabant), where the brand-new Belfius Hockey Arena will host 13 days of international hockey, entertainment and fan activities.
The competition brings together both the men's and women's World Cups. There will be 16 men's teams and 16 women's teams competing for the world titles, with matches split between Wavre and Amstelveen in the Netherlands.
The Belfius Hockey Arena, located on Avenue du Centre Sportif in Wavre, will be the Belgian headquarters of the tournament. The venue is expected to welcome supporters throughout the competition, with food and drink stands, shops, entertainment and a Kids' Zone forming part of the Public Plaza.
The Belgian programme begins on Saturday 15 August. The opening day in Wavre will feature four matches, including the first appearance of the Belgian Red Lions, who have established themselves among the world’s leading hockey nations, will face France at 21:00.
Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre. Credit: Wavre
The Belgian men's team will remain in Wavre for its pool matches. The Red Lions are in Pool B, alongside Germany, France and Malaysia. The women's team, the Belgian Red Panthers, will compete in Pool C against Spain, New Zealand and Ireland.
The Red Panthers will play their first World Cup match on 16 August against New Zealand, while the Red Lions will take on Germany on 17 August and Malaysia on 19 August.
Final in Belgium
Wavre will not only host the group stages: both Belgium and the Netherlands will host one women’s semi-final and one men’s semi-final, and the men's World Cup final is scheduled for the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre at 16:30 on 30 August. The women's final, meanwhile, will be played in the Netherlands,
The final day will begin with the men's bronze-medal match at 14:00, before the new world champion is crowned in Wavre.
The organisers are expecting more than 100,000 spectators during the Belgian leg of the tournament. The event is designed as an experience extending beyond the pitch, with fan zones, entertainment, food stands and activities planned around the matches.
For visitors travelling to Wavre, organisers are also urging spectators to plan their journey in advance. There is no parking available directly around the stadium, with supporters required to use the official World Cup car parks located a few kilometres away from the site.
