How they qualified: 4th Place – 2021 Men’s EuroHockey Championship

Notable honours: FIH Men’s World Cup silver medallists (1986), European gold medallists (2009), European silver medallists (1997), 7x European bronze medallists (1978, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2017), Hockey World League bronze medallists (2013), 4x Commonwealth Games bronze medallists (1998, 2014, 2018 & 2022)

Rank in previous WC editions: 1973 – 6th, 1975 – 6th, 1978 – 7th, 1982 – 8th, 1986 – 2nd, 1990 – 5th, 1994 – 6th, 1998 – 6th, 2002 – 7th, 2006 – 5th, 2010 – 4th, 2014 – 4th, 2018 – 4th.

Having participated in every edition of the FIH Men’s World Cup, England are always capable of achieving great things. They have reached the semi-finals of the last three World Cup competitions but missed the podium on each occasion. That is something they will be desperate to change this time around, as they aim to secure a first FIH Men’s World Cup medal since grabbing silver at the 1986 event on home soil in Willesden, London. They certainly have a very good squad of players, but first need to navigate their way out of a tricky pool that contains home favourites India, in-form Spain, and neighbours Wales.

England – coached by Paul Revington, former head coach of South Africa and Malaysia men and assistant coach to Great Britain women – were outstanding at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, with striker Nick Bandurak finishing as the competition’s top scorer with 11 goals as his team snatched the bronze medal. Only one team managed to defeat the Englishmen in that competition, with the mighty Australia – a side that have only ever won gold in the Commonwealths – overturning a two-goal deficit in the semi-final to triumph 3-2. Captain Zach Wallace, midfield ace Phil Roper and attacker Sam Ward were all key players in Birmingham and will be hoping to replicate that form in Odisha. If they do, the sky is the limit.

One to watch: Zach Wallace. Nominated for the 2019 FIH Rising Star of the Year Award, Zach Wallace has established himself as a world class player who can have an impact in almost any position. The 23-year-old captained England at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, where the team claimed the bronze medal.