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 England women’s team, ranked #7 in the world.
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Competing in their 12th successive FIH Hockey World Cup, England will be aiming to reproduce the magnificent form that secured their place at the global showpiece in Belgium and the Netherlands.
The team was outstanding at the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifier in Hyderabad, India. The two goals they conceded in their opening 5-2 victory over Italy proved to be the only ones they allowed throughout the tournament, completing a perfect five wins from five with victories over Korea (3-0), Austria (2-0), Scotland (2-0) and hosts India (2-0) in the final. Drag-flicking defender Grace Balsdon bagged five penalty corners to finish as joint top scorer, while promising 20-year-old midfielder Lottie Bingham was named Young Player of the Tournament.
Having finished eighth and narrowly avoided relegation in the 2024-25 FIH Hockey Pro League, England improved to seventh in the 2025-26 campaign. In February, they recorded an impressive 2-0 away victory over Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallists and World Cup Pool D rivals China in Yunfu thanks to goals from Balsdon and Tess Howard. They arguably saved their best performances for their final two matches of the season, played in late June on home soil in London. Tess Howard, Olivia Hamilton, Rio 2016 Olympic gold medallists Lily Owsley and Darcy Bourne were all on target in a 4-2 victory over Spain before England finished their campaign on a massive high, defeating Pan American champions and 2022 World Cup silver medallists Argentina 3-2 with captain Anna Toman, Ellie Rayer and Holly Hunt all on target. Combined with their dominant displays in World Cup qualification, those performances showed that while England are still searching for greater consistency, they can compete with the very best and will be a dangerous opponent for any team in this competition.
How they qualified: 1st place - 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers, Hyderabad (IND)
Notable honours: World Cup bronze medallists (2010), 2x European champions (1991, 2015), Hockey World League bronze medallists (2012-13), Champions Trophy bronze medallists (2010), Commonwealth Games gold medallists (2022), 3x Commonwealth Games silver medallists (1998, 2002, 2014),
Rank in previous WC editions: 1983 – 5th, 1986 – 5th, 1990 – 4th, 1994 – 9th, 1998 – 9th, 2002 – 5th, 2006 – 7th, 2010 – 3rd, 2014 – 11th, 2018 – 6th, 2022 – 8th
Head coach: David Ralph. The vastly experienced former Scotland international has been head coach of England and Great Britain since 2021, having previously held a variety of coaching roles within the GB set-up. England's commanding displays at the World Cup Qualifier in Hyderabad suggest the team is gathering momentum at just the right time.
Quote: Head Coach David Ralph: “We have a good mix of experienced players with World Cups and Olympic Games on their resumes and players who are making their debut appearances at an event of this scale. That wealth of experience and the energy and freshness from younger players is exciting looking forward to the World Cup.”
One to watch: Sophie Hamilton. Named Women's Senior Performance Player of the Year at the England Hockey Awards 2025, the 25-year-old is a world-class midfielder who looks set to be a central figure for both England and Great Britain for many years to come.
FIH team / stats page: click here.
Website: http://www.englandhockey.co.uk
X: @EnglandHockey Facebook: @EnglandHockey Instagram: englandhockey
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.
