As we count down to the highly anticipated FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026, we take a closer look at the competing men's and women's teams ready to battle for global supremacy. In this special preview series, we profile each nation's journey to the tournament, examining their road to qualification, historic achievements, key players to watch, and the tactical minds leading them into the ultimate hockey showcase. In today’s story we take a look at the Belgium women’s team, ranked #3 in the world.

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As FIH Hockey World Cup co-hosts and after securing third place finishes in the two most recent editions of the FIH Hockey Pro League, Belgium should be regarded as genuine title contenders.

The Red Panthers are one of only a handful of teams to have had success against hot favourites the Netherlands in recent years. In 2024, goals from Charlotte Engelbert and Stephanie Vanden Borre earned Belgium a superb 2-1 Pro League victory on Dutch soil in Utrecht. The team came within seconds of repeating that feat in their final Pro League match of 2026, only for a last-gasp penalty corner from Yibbi Jansen to rescue a 2-2 draw for the Oranje after a late double from Delphine Marien had put Belgium on the brink of a famous win. Jansen’s goal swung the match in the Netherlands’ favour, triumphing in the shoot-out.

Despite that slightly frustrating campaign ending, Adam Commens’ side can reflect on another excellent Pro League season. They finished just one point behind runners-up Argentina, with co-captain Engelbert and Vanden Borre each scoring six goals and Marien contributing five.

This Red Panthers squad is packed with experience. Alix Gerniers (300+ caps), Judith Vandermeiren (270+), Emma Puvrez (240+), Vanden Borre (220+), Lien Hillewaert (170+) and co-captain Michelle Struijk (160) bring masses of international wisdom to the table. They are also backed by outstanding goalkeeper Elena Sotgiu, widely regarded as one of the world’s finest shot-stoppers. Midfielder Camille Belis is another player to watch after being named Young Player of the Tournament at the EuroHockey Championship 2025 in Mönchengladbach (GER), where Belgium finished fourth following an agonising shoot-out defeat to Spain in the bronze medal match.

Nickname: Red Panthers

How they qualified: Host nation
Notable honours: 4th place – Olympic Games Paris 2024, 2x EuroHockey Championships silver medallists (2017, 2023), EuroHockey Championships bronze medallists (2021), FIH Hockey World Cup bronze medallists (1978), 4th place – EuroHockey Championships (2013, 2025), 1st place – FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers (2024), 2x 3rd place – FIH Hockey Pro League (2024-25, 2025-26)

Rank in previous WC editions: 1974 – 5th, 1976 – 4th, 1978 – 3rd, 1981 – 8th, 2014 – 12th, 2018 – 10th, 2022 – 6th

Head coach: Adam Commens. Former Australia international Adam Commens has a long association with the Belgian hockey, serving as the men’s national coach between 2007 and 2010 before becoming Hockey Belgium’s High Performance Director in 2016. In that role, he has overseen the most successful period in the country’s hockey history. Between 2011 and 2016, Commens was head coach of Australia women, guiding the Hockeyroos to the silver medal at the 2014 FIH Hockey World Cup in The Hague (NED).

Quote: Adam Commens: “We are particularly enthusiastic about this group of players. We have quality in all positions, plenty of speed, and a team bursting with ambition to succeed. We are all really looking forward to playing in front of our home crowd in three weeks.”

One to watch: Alix Gerniers. Named on the three-player shortlist for women’s FIH Player of the Year award in 2025, 33-year-old Gerniers is an influential midfielder with more than 300 international appearances to her name. She is competing in her fourth World Cup, following appearances at The Hague 2014, London 2018 and Terrassa-Amstelveen 2022. Gerniers is not the only member of her family competing at the FIH Hockey World Cup, with cousin Arthur de Sloover representing Belgium men.

FIH team / stats page: click here.

Website: www.hockey.be
X: @BELRedPanthers Facebook: BelgianRedPanthers Instagram: belredpanthers

The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 begins on 15 August, with both men’s and women’s teams in action on opening day across the Netherlands and Belgium. For more information on the competition including the competition format, pools and the complete match schedule, click here.