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 Pakistan men’s team, ranked #12 in the world.
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Few nations in world hockey can boast a heritage as rich as Pakistan's. The four-time world champions – still a tournament record, one ahead of Australia, Germany and the Netherlands – and three-time Olympic gold medallists remain one of the sport's most iconic teams, having shaped the modern game through their artistry, flair and generations of outstanding players.
Motivated by their failure to qualify for the FIH Hockey World Cup Bhubaneswar & Rourkela 2023, the Green Shirts produced a string of outstanding displays at the 2026 FIH Hockey Men's World Cup Qualifier in Ismailia, Egypt, to return to one of the sport’s greatest stages. Victories over China (5-4), Malaysia (5-3) and Austria (4-2) sent Pakistan into the semi-finals, where a meeting with Japan would determine their World Cup fate. In a remarkable contest, Pakistan recovered from 3-1 down by scoring three goals in the final eight minutes to seal qualification. Abu Mahmood, Sufyan Khan and Afraz were all on target as the Green Shirts booked their place at a 14th FIH Hockey World Cup. Although England defeated them 4-1 in the final, their primary objective was achieved.
Pakistan endured a difficult debut campaign in the 2025-26 FIH Hockey Pro League, losing all 16 matches and suffering relegation to next season's FIH Hockey Nations Cup. Despite the disappointing results, there were encouraging moments, including narrow defeats against Argentina (3-2), Australia (3-2), India (4-3) and England (2-1). However, they also experienced some heavy losses, none more painful than the 7-1 defeat to fierce rivals India, their pool rivals in this event. Penalty-corner specialists Sufyan Khan and Abu Mahmood each scored five goals during the campaign, while gifted forward Waheed Ashraf Rana also found the net five times from open play.
Nickname: Green Shirts
How they qualified: 2nd place - 2026 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifier, Ismailia (EGY)
Notable honours: 3x Olympic Gold medallists (1960, 1968, 1984), 3x Olympic silver medallists (1956, 1964, 1972), 2x Olympic bronze medallists (1976, 1992), 4x FIH Hockey World Cup champions (1971, 1978, 1982, 1994), 3x Asia Cup gold medallists (1982, 1985, 1989), 3x Champions Trophy gold medallists (1978, 1980, 1994), 3x Asian Champions Trophy gold medallists (2012, 2013, 2018), FIH Hockey Nations Cup silver medallists (2025)
Rank in previous WC editions: 1971 – 1st, 1973 – 4th, 1975 – 2nd, 1978 – 1st, 1982 – 1st, 1986 – 11th, 1990 – 2nd, 1994 – 1st, 1998 – 5th, 2002 – 5th, 2006 – 6th, 2010 – 12th, 2018 – 12th
Coaching team: In July, the Pakistan Hockey Federation appointed vastly experienced Herman Kruis as National Coaching Advisor, with the 70-year-old Dutchman being named High Performance Advisor for this event. Fellow Dutchman Bob Veldhof has been listed as Head Coach, with Christopher Bowen and former Pakistan international Adnan Zakir named Assistant Coaches.
Quote: Abu Bakar Mehmood: The journey to the World Cup has demanded sacrifice, discipline, and resilience. Now it’s time to embrace the challenge and show the world the spirit of Pakistan hockey. We’ll leave everything on the field and play with passion, courage, and heart. Keep us in your prayers—we’re ready for this challenge.
One to watch: Ammad Butt. Pakistan’s inspirational captain is the heartbeat of the Green Shirts. The 30-year-old midfielder is one of only a handful of players in the current group to have surpassed 100 caps – 189 and counting – and brings invaluable leadership, composure and competitive edge.
FIH team / stats page: click here.
Website: pakistanhockeyfederation.com
X: PHFOfficial Facebook: PHFOfficial Instagram: PHFOfficial
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.
