*This story was originally published by KNHB*

National coach Jeroen Delmée has announced his World Cup squad for the 2026 Hockey World Cup. Twenty players, including two goalkeepers, are part of the selection. The Dutch men's hockey team, TeamNL, will be in action from August 15 to 30 during the 2026 Hockey World Cup, which will be played in Amsterdam and partly in Waver (Belgium).

August 16, 2026, is marked with a large red circle in the calendar. On that day, the Dutch Men's Hockey team plays their first match of the 2026 Hockey World Cup in Amsterdam. New Zealand is the first opponent for head coach Jeroen Delmée's team.

“Making a selection involves disappointing some players,” said national coach Jeroen Delmée. “That is actually the most frustrating aspect of the job. These guys have put their heart and soul into the team, had a clear goal in mind, and ultimately I decide otherwise. The difficult thing about the selection this time is that some players still need to take the final steps towards top fitness, because they have been sidelined due to injuries. We are counting on their progress and have a lot of confidence in that, but normally you have fewer uncertainties regarding fitness.”

In addition to the group of 20 players, three players are on standby so they can step in if necessary. These are goalkeeper Hidde Brink (Pinoké), Miles Bukkens (Pinoké), and Lucas Veen (Bloemendaal). “Ultimately, there is a group of 18 players and two reserves per match. Add to that the guys we have designated as standby players, and I am confident that we can handle everything and appear at the World Cup with a strong squad.”

Croon and van Dam back in squad

Jorrit Croon (Bloemendaal) and Thijs van Dam (Rotterdam) were not yet present for the FIH Hockey Pro League matches in Rotterdam and Waver, but are now part of the group again. Delmée on their recovery: “Jorrit and Thijs’s recovery is going well. We are satisfied with where they stand at the moment. They still need to take steps towards full top fitness over the next three weeks, but we have great confidence that they will be in top form for the World Cup. It is nice to have guys like Jorrit and Thijs back with us. Apart from on the field, where they are important, they also have a major impact on the dynamics off the field, for example in culture and behavior.”

Looking forward to the World Cup

“The preparation for the World Cup is going well so far. We know we are nowhere near there yet, as the Pro League showed. It was too inconsistent there. But I am happy with the progress we are making. From this moment on, we can play with the strongest squad again; due to various injuries, this was not possible after the European Championship. Over the next three weeks, we will be getting the team ready for the World Cup,” says Jeroen Delmée.

World Championship on home soil

When asked about the objective for this World Championship, Delmée is clear: “When you play a World Championship on home soil as the current Olympic champion, you go for gold. But we are also aware that the competition is enormous and we ourselves haven't had our best season. You can't afford any mistakes at this World Championship. With the new World Championship format, you quickly carry that mistake into the rest of the tournament. So you have to be ready already in the group stage . A poor result against a team that advances to the second round already puts pressure on that second group stage. But as the current Olympic champion, it seems logical to me to aim for the highest possible at the World Championship.”

Construction in full swing

The build-up towards the World Cup, both literally and figuratively, is in full swing. “We see everything being built around the Wagener Stadium, where we are currently training a lot. Stands, the Rabo Fanzone, and everything surrounding it: you can see how grand it is going to be. Of course, we have played major events in the Netherlands before, and public interest in the Pro League is always high in the Netherlands, but now it is all going to be even bigger. It feels like coming home again.”

Delmée also indicates that building up within the team will be central in the coming weeks: “Staying in the bubble as a team, that is the motto. Distractions are always present at a tournament in the Netherlands. How do we maintain focus? The schedule does not allow for a loss of focus, with the rhythm of match day-rest day-match day. As a team, we are working towards a massive peak; in the coming three weeks, we must ensure that we become a machine as a collective and in the lines. It is up to us to prepare ourselves for a fantastic World Cup.”

Surname	First name	Club
Beam	Lars	Kampong
Bees	Koen	Den Bosch
Block	Justen	Rotterdam
Brinkman	Thierry	Den Bosch
Croon	Jorrit	Bloemendaal
Dam, from	Thijs	Rotterdam
Geus, the	Jonas	Kampong
Heijden, van der	Pepijn	Rotterdam
Heijningen, van	Steijn	Rotterdam
Hatmakers	Tjep	Rotterdam
Janssen	Jip	Kampong
Meijer (GK)	Derk	Rotterdam
Middle village	Floris	Amsterdam
Mole, the	Joep	Orange-Red
Pieters	Terrance	Kampong
Reyenga	Tijmen	Orange-Red
Telgenkamp	Duco	Amsterdam
Vilder, the	Derck	Kampong
Fisherman (GK)	Maurits	Bloemendaal
Carrot farmer	Floris	Bloemendaal

Match Schedule

The match schedule for the team is as follows for the two group stages:

Date	Time	Match
Sunday, August 16	4:00 PM	Netherlands – New Zealand
Tuesday, August 18	6:00 PM	Argentina - Netherlands
Thursday, August 20	6:00 PM	Netherlands - Japan
Saturday, August 22	4:00 PM	Netherlands - nnb
Monday, August 24	6:00 PM	Netherlands - nnb

Where to watch?

All matches can be watched live on television on NOS and watch.hockey. In addition, summaries of all Netherlands matches can be viewed on NOS.nl.