Men’s Hockey World Cup Winners List of All Time From 1971 to 2023

Last updated on January 23rd, 2023 at 08:21 am

The International Hockey Federation hosts the Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup, an international field hockey competition (FIH). The competition first began in 1971. Every four years, it takes place to fill the gap left by the Summer Olympics. With four tournament victories, Pakistan is the most successful squad. Germany has won two titles, the Netherlands has won three, and Australia has won three. India and Belgium have each won the competition once.

The 2018 competition took place in Bhubaneswar, India, from November 28 through December 16. After the game ended in a 0-0 draw, Belgium overcame Netherlands 3-2 on penalties to claim their first World Cup championship. In 2018, the World Cup included 16 teams. In this article we will talk about the Hockey World Cup Winners List.

Hockey World Cup Winners List: Important Facts

The Hockey World Cup is currently the top solo hockey competition in the world for both men and women. It was designed to take the sport beyond the Olympics. The Men’s Hockey World Cup Winners List has over the years carved out its own place of relevance alongside the Summer Games, even if the Olympics are still regarded as Blue Riband events

The initial competition for the men’s hockey World Cup was staged in Barcelona, Spain, in 1971. Interestingly, the 1971 event was originally scheduled to take place in Pakistan but was moved to Spain as a result of political unrest in Asia at the time.

Pakistan became the inaugural men’s hockey World Cup champion after defeating Spain in the 10-team competition’s finale, despite losing the hosting rights. At one point, it looked as though Pakistan wouldn’t advance past the group round since the Netherlands were predicted to beat Japan in Pool B’s championship game, eliminating Pakistan from the competition.

However, Japan surprised everyone by defeating the Dutch 1-0, giving the eventual champions new life. The hockey team from Pakistan, who was at the time the defending Asian and Olympic champions, took advantage of the chance to defeat India 2-1 in the semifinals before defeating the hosts 1-0 in the championship game thanks to an Akhtarul Islam goal.

Pakistan has also had the most success in the men’s hockey World Cup, taking home four championships (1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994). Australia and the Netherlands have each won three World Cups. The only other team with multiple World Cup victories in hockey is Germany, which has two. India, on the other hand, has had difficulty in the competition.

The Indian hockey team only succeeded in winning one World Cup championship despite being a record-breaking eight-time Olympic champions. India’s lone victory came in Kuala Lumpur in 1975, captained by Ajit Pal Singh. The esteemed Balbir Singh Sr. oversaw the squad. Ashok Kumar, the son of Indian hockey legend Dhyan Chand, scored the game-winning goal in India’s 2-1 victory over Pakistan in the 1975 championship game.

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Men’s Hockey World Cup Winners List: Year – Wise

Since its beginning in 1971, when Pakistan won the tournament after defeating the hosts Spain in the championship match, the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup has been held every four years. Pakistan eventually won the competition three more times, making them the most successful side in the annals of the Hockey World Cup. Together with Australia, Netherlands has won the trophy three times after defeating eight-time Olympic gold medalists India in the finals of the second Hockey World Cup. Germany has won the trophy twice, India and Belgium have each received it once, while Germany has won it twice. View the Hockey World Cup Winners List All Time in the table below:

Hockey World Cup Winners List Year Wise
Host Country	Year	Winner	Runners up	Third place
Spain	1971	Pakistan	Spain	India
Netherlands	1973	Netherlands	India	West Germany
Malaysia	1975	India	Pakistan	West Germany
Argentina	1978	Pakistan	Netherlands	Australia
India	1982	Pakistan	West Germany	Australia
England	1986	Australia	England	West Germany
Pakistan	1990	Netherlands	Pakistan	Australia
Australia	1994	Pakistan	Netherlands	Australia
Netherlands	1998	Netherlands	Spain	Germany
Malaysia	2002	Germany	Australia	Netherlands
Germany	2006	Germany	Australia	Spain
India	2010	Australia	Germany	Netherlands
Netherlands	2014	Australia	Netherlands	Argentina
India	2018	Belgium	Netherlands	Australia
India	2023	–	–	–

Hockey World Cup Winners List: FAQs