The 2026 FIH Women Hockey World Cup, to be jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands, will feature 16 of the world’s top teams.
Nine places are already secured through direct qualification, leaving seven berths to be decided via two qualification tournaments in early 2026. For India, who missed out on automatic qualification after finishing runners-up at the 2025 Asia Cup, the journey to Wavre and Amstelveen now goes through this high-stakes qualifying stage.
Understanding the Qualification System
The FIH set up a multi-tiered pathway for World Cup qualification:
- Hosts (2): Belgium and the Netherlands.
- FIH Pro League (2): Germany and Argentina secured berths.
- Continental Champions (5): USA (Pan Am Cup), Spain (EuroHockey Championship, as Netherlands were already qualified), New Zealand (Oceania Cup), China (Asia Cup), and the winner of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.
That leaves 7 slots open, to be filled via the two World Cup Qualifiers (Feb 28 – Mar 15, 2026).
Format of the Qualifiers
Each qualifier will feature 8 teams, divided into two pools. After the group stage, the top two from each pool move into the semi-finals.
- 4 spots: Secured by the winners of the semi-finals (2 from each tournament).
- 2 spots: Given to bronze medal winners.
- 1 spot: Goes to the highest-ranked team (by FIH World Rankings) among the two losing bronze medalists.
This unique format means that even a fourth-place finish could be enough, if backed by a high global ranking.
India’s Position
India, ranked inside the world’s top 10, are one of the favourites to qualify. Their runner-up finish at the 2025 Asia Cup showed they remain among Asia’s strongest, despite losing the final to hosts China. Led by captain Salima Tete and coached by Harendra Singh, India’s blend of experienced players and promising youngsters gives them a strong chance in the qualifiers.
India’s biggest advantages:
- High FIH ranking compared to most teams.
- Experience in knockout tournaments (Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Birmingham 2022 CWG, 2022 World Cup).
- A squad with proven scorers and a reliable defensive structure.
The Teams in Contention : The qualifiers bring together 15 of the strongest non-champion teams from around the world:
Asia
- India – Asia Cup runners-up.
- Japan – Drew against India in the Super 4s, narrowly missed out on the final.
- South Korea – Experienced side, led by Cheon Eun-bi.
Europe
Europe will be the most competitive region, with several world-ranked teams:
- England – Olympic and World Cup regulars, among the strongest sides here.
- Ireland – 2018 World Cup silver medalists, rebuilding with young talent.
- Scotland – Consistent mid-tier European side.
- France – Improving steadily, recently beating Ireland.
- Italy, Austria, Switzerland – Lower-ranked but capable of springing surprises.
Pan America
- Canada – Experienced and resilient, regularly competitive at Pan Am events.
- Chile – Strong in continental hockey, determined to bounce back after a missed bronze in 2025.
- Uruguay – The surprise package, winning bronze at the 2025 Pan American Cup.
Oceania
- Australia – A former world champion, shockingly in the qualifiers after losing to New Zealand. Still ranked among the world’s top 10 and favourites to go through.
Who Are the Favourites?
- Australia and India are clear front-runners, both ranked inside the global top 10.
- England will also be heavily favoured given their ranking and experience.
- Japan and South Korea add depth from Asia, while Ireland, France, and Scotland make Europe’s challenge formidable.
The fight for the final few spots could come down to a battle between mid-ranked Europeans (Scotland, France, Ireland) and Pan-American hopefuls (Chile, Canada, Uruguay).
India’s Pathway
For India, the goal is simple:
- Top 2 in Pool → Reach semi-finals.
- Win semi-final → Direct qualification.
- If losing in semis → Win bronze match or rely on high world ranking as best 4th-placed team.
Given their world ranking and depth, India’s chances are high. However, they will need to be wary of slip-ups against improving sides like Japan, South Korea, and the European mid-tier teams who thrive in pressure tournaments.
The qualifiers for the 2026 Women’s Hockey World Cup promise to be one of the most competitive in recent memory. With seven spots available and 15 hungry teams chasing them, every game will carry knockout-like intensity. For India, the task is clear overcome the heartbreak of missing out in the Asia Cup final, regroup, and deliver in early 2026. With players like Salima Tete, Lalremsiami, and Savita Punia in the mix, India not only have the tools to qualify but also the potential to make a deep run once in Belgium and the Netherlands.
The road is tough, but qualification is firmly within reach.
