India's journey towards the 2026 FIH Women's Hockey World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands begins with the World Cup Qualifiers, with India hosting matches in Hyderabad from March 8 to 14. The Indian women's team is set to face Uruguay on March 8 and Scotland on March 9.
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) unveiled the schedule for the qualifiers, which will be held in three locations: Santiago, Chile (February 28 - March 8), Ismailia, Egypt (March 1-7), and Hyderabad, India. In Hyderabad, eight teams, including England, India, Scotland, Korea, Italy, Uruguay, Wales, and Austria, will compete for a spot in the World Cup.
The Indian team, which won a silver medal at the Women's Asia Cup last year, must participate in the qualifiers because they did not win the tournament and secure direct qualification to the World Cup. China defeated India 4-1 in the Asia Cup final, securing a direct spot in the World Cup.
The matches in Santiago will feature Australia, Japan, Ireland, Chile, France, Canada, Malaysia, and Switzerland competing for World Cup spots. Egypt will host the men's World Cup qualifiers, with the host nation competing against England, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, Austria, China, and the USA.
These qualifiers are the final stage for teams to earn a spot in the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, which will be held in Wavre, Belgium, and Amstelveen, Netherlands, from August 14 to 30. Alongside the host nations, the top-ranked team in the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons in the FIH Pro League and the five continental champions receive an automatic berth. The remaining teams will compete for the last seven places in the World Cup Qualifiers.
With the women's team needing to qualify, these matches take on increased importance. The men's team has already secured their place, having won the Asia Cup in 2025. Victories in the upcoming games could secure India's place at the global showpiece in Belgium and the Netherlands. Another qualifying tournament will take place in Santiago, Chile, featuring teams like Australia, Japan, and Chile. The top three teams from both events will progress to the World Cup, along with the highest-ranked fourth-placed team.
