Hockey World Cup kicks off in Amstelveen with Dutch victory

The hockey World Cup commenced in Amstelveen, with the Dutch women defeating Chile 2-0 at the Wagener Stadium. Sixteen men's and sixteen women's teams are competing for the two world titles over the next two weeks. The Netherlands co-hosts the event with Belgium, where matches are held at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre, southeast of Brussels.

Both Dutch teams play all five group matches at the Wagener Stadium. The Dutch women's team is the favorite, holding the world, Olympic, and European titles, and topping the rankings by a significant margin. The tournament marks the final appearance of Xan de Waard, who announced her retirement following the 2022 victory. De Waard, the world's best player twice, is the only player to win four World Cups in any gender category.

Dutch women's midfielder Xan de Waard believes the team will be favored this time as well. In contrast, the Dutch men are Olympic champions but have not won a World title since 1998. They are ranked second globally, behind Belgium. Their opening match is scheduled for Sunday against New Zealand at 4 pm, followed by an Argentina game two days later.

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten will attend the tournament as a spectator, with his partner Nicolás Keenan playing for Argentina and Klein Zwitserland in The Hague. NOS will broadcast all Dutch matches live on NPO 1, its website, and app. Tickets for the matches are still available on the tournament's website, including day tickets for every match at one venue.

The women's final will take place at the Wagener Stadium on August 29, while the men's final occurs in Wavre the following day.