Lausanne, Switzerland – In line with one of the key pillars of its Empowerment and Engagement Strategy – “More opportunities to compete” – the International Hockey Federation (FIH) is pleased to announce the expansion of the number of teams participating in the FIH Hockey Nations Cup and the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2 from the current eight to ten teams from the next edition onwards. In total, this move means that eight additional teams will participate across these events each year.

Furthermore, the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2, introduced last year, will become an annual event from 2027 onwards. This will provide more consistent exposure for teams of this level and simplify the qualification structure by aligning Nations Cup 2 with the Nations Cup and the FIH Hockey Pro League.

FIH President Tayyab Ikram expressed his great satisfaction following today’s announcement: “These decisions, taken upon my initiative, are in continuation with our Empowerment and Engagement strategy. They are crucial in fostering equal opportunities for athletes and nations to participate, develop, and grow.
I am particularly pleased for all the second- and third-tier teams that previously lacked sufficient opportunities to test themselves in high-level tournaments before the introduction of both events.
The Nations Cup will be held in the next couple of days for the fourth time and has already established itself as a major event on hockey’s global calendar for both athletes and fans.
The inaugural editions of the Nations Cup 2 last year were a tremendous success, and there has been a strong demand from the participating teams to hold this event annually ever since.”

The qualification system has been revised accordingly:

The expansion of teams also means that no team will be relegated from this year’s FIH Hockey Nations Cup starting tomorrow in Cape Town, South Africa (Men’s) and on 15 June in Auckland, New Zealand (Women’s).