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 China women’s team, ranked #4 in the world.
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Any concerns that China might struggle to match the magnificent high of winning silver at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games have been firmly dispelled over the past two seasons. The Asian giants have continued to prove they belong among the sport’s leading nations.
Back-to-back fourth-place finishes in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 FIH Hockey Pro League campaigns are China's best-ever results in the competition, sandwiching a superb triumph at the 2025 Women's Asia Cup on home soil in Hangzhou to secure qualification for this tournament. Zou Meirong scored 11 goals in seven matches as the hosts claimed their first Asia Cup title in 16 years, sealing the crown with a commanding 4-1 victory over India in the final. Alongside Zou's top scorer award, 17-year-old Luo Yaxi was named the tournament's Best Young Player, underlining China's exciting future.
The squad that competed in this season's FIH Hockey Pro League featured ten cap centurions, with Peng Yang (206 caps), Li Hong (182) and Chen Yang (147) the most experienced. Influential captain Ou Zixia (198 caps) was also named but did not feature during the competition.
Nickname: Snow Lotuses
How they qualified: 1st place – 2025 Women’s Asia Cup, Hangzhou (CHN)
Notable honours: 2x Olympic silver medallists (2008, 2024), World Cup bronze medallists (2002), Champions Trophy gold medallists (2002), 2x Champions Trophy silver medallists (2003, 2006), Champions Trophy bronze medallists (2005), 4x Asian Games gold medallists (2002, 2006, 2010, 2022), 3x Asia Cup gold medallists (1989, 2009, 2025), 2x 4th place – FIH Hockey Pro League (2024-25, 2025-26)
Rank in previous WC editions: 1990 – 6th, 1994 – 7th, 1998 – 11th, 2002 – 3rd, 2006 – 10th, 2010 – 8th, 2014 – 6th, 2018 – 16th, 2022 – 9th
Head coach: Alyson Annan. By leading China to Olympic silver at Paris 2024 before guiding the team to Asia Cup glory in 2025, the Hockeyroos legend and two-time FIH Player of the Year has re-established China as one of the sport's leading nations. Annan, who also guided the Netherlands to World Cup glory in 2018 and Olympic gold in 2021, has transformed the team's fortunes since taking charge. At the end of 2025, she was named FIH Women's Coach of the Year for a record sixth time (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25).
Quote: Captain, Li Hong: We’re hoping the team can achieve a result at this World Cup that we’ll be satisfied with. And beyond our own performance, we’re looking forward to seeing all the teams here play at their best — a World Cup is at its finest when every side brings something special to it.
The Olympic silver medal is already behind us; it belongs to the past. What drives us now is the ambition to create more results like that one — more achievements that stand alongside an “Olympic silver.” It isn’t pressure, and it isn’t entirely confidence either. It’s an enormous source of motivation.
One to watch: Li Hong. A dynamic attacking midfielder capable of both creating and scoring goals, the 27-year-old was nominated for the 2025 FIH Player of the Year Award, while compatriot Liu Ping was shortlisted for the Best Goalkeeper prize. Li plays her club hockey for Amsterdam H&BC – where Annan herself used to coach – in the Dutch Hoofdklasse, having joined the club in September 2025.
FIH team / stats page: click here.
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.
