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Belgium or the Netherlands? How to choose your base for the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026
Deciding between Belgium or the Netherlands for the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026? Compare bases, stadiums, atmosphere, and travel logistics before you book.
With the biggest field hockey tournament of the year happening this month, you’re probably tempted to buy tickets and book a flight.
But with the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 taking place across both Belgium and the Netherlands, you may be confused about which country to choose.
Well, here’s some good news that will probably surprise you: you don’t need to pick just one.
Belgium and the Netherlands are close enough to catch games at both venues. So the real decision isn’t choosing one country over the other; it’s deciding which one to make your home base during the 16-day tournament.
Here’s how Belgium and the Netherlands are co-hosting the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, and how to choose the base that makes the most sense for you.
Two countries, one World Cup: how the co-hosting works
We’ve already seen how the FIFA 2026 World Cup worked with three host countries. The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 will work similarly, splitting games between both Belgium and the Netherlands.
The Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre will host Belgium’s games, while the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen (near Amsterdam) is the official hub of the Netherlands’ fixtures.
Yet what many fans don’t realize is that these two venues, despite being in different countries, are just a 2-2.5-hour drive or a 3- 3.5-hour train journey away.
That being said, bear in mind that day tickets cover all matches at just one location on that day. So if you wanted to catch a morning game in Belgium and then head to Amsterdam to watch an evening game, you would have to purchase day tickets in both venues.
Considering this, the smartest (and cheapest) way to split your time between both host countries is to base yourself in one city and day-trip to the other one.
So, which host city should you base yourself in?
Choosing Belgium: Wavre and Brussels as your base
If you want to soak up the atmosphere of Belgium’s first-ever FIH Hockey World Cup, make Wavre your home base.
Fixtures will take place at Belfius Hockey Arena, a brand-new stadium built especially for the 2026 tournament.
It’s also where Belgium’s men’s team, the Red Lions, and the women’s team, the Red Panthers, will play their group-stage matches. So, it’s the best base for fans wanting to cheer on the home side.
Despite being a small city, Wavre has an impressive amount of entertainment, gastronomic experiences, and cultural heritage to explore between matches.
Plus, Brussels is just half an hour away, which is a huge cultural hub for beer, chocolate, and history. In fact, Brussels’ beer tasting tours and chocolate making workshops are among the most popular things to do in Belgium, and a super fun activity to add to your itinerary.
Choosing the Netherlands: Amsterdam and Amstelveen as your base
When it comes to atmosphere, Amstelveen will be hard to beat.
Matches will be played at the iconic Wagener Hockey Stadium, which has been temporarily expanded for the World Cup. Built in 1938, Wagener Stadium has a long history in international field hockey, having hosted the Hockey World Cup in both 1973 and 2022.
The Dutch teams will be playing here on home turf as reigning Olympic champions, having recently taken gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Therefore, you can expect passionate home crowds and a loud, electric matchday experience.
Another major pull is that Amstelveen is just 20 minutes from Amsterdam, one of the liveliest and most beautiful cities in Europe.
Aside from its canals, museums, and coffee shops, Amsterdam’s food scene is among the best in Europe, and this extends to Amstelveen. As soon as you step away from the pitch, you’ll be greeted by the sweet smell of stroopwafels and appeltaart (Dutch apple pie).
Belgium vs the Netherlands at a glance
The home base you choose will depend on what matters most to you.
Choose Belgium if you’re supporting the Red Lions, want to experience the country’s first-ever Hockey World Cup as hosts, or prefer flying in and out of Brussels.
Choose the Netherlands if you want huge crowds and an electric atmosphere, or if you want to combine your sports trip with some world-class European sightseeing.
| Belgium (Wavre) | Netherlands (Amsterdam) | |
|---|---|---|
| Home crowd | Belgium’s Red Lions | Dutch teams, reigning Olympic champions |
| Venue | Belfius Hockey Arena, new build | Wagener Stadium, historic |
| Nearest Major City | 30 min from Brussels | About 20 min from Amsterdam |
| Best for | A fresh scene and first-time hosts | Lively atmosphere and Dutch hockey culture |
Remember that whichever host country you pick, you can still attend games in the other one.
Belgium and the Netherlands have previously co-hosted a major sporting event (the 2000 UEFA European Football Championship), so the logistics of traveling between both countries are already well figured out.
Cross-border train travel in Europe is very efficient and easy to use, and is the primary form of transport that hockey fans will use during the FIH World Cup.
Schiphol (in Amsterdam) has many international train connections and is just a 15-minute metro ride from Amstelveen, where Wagener Stadium is. From Schiphol you can take a high-speed train to Brussels (Belgium) before catching a regional train to Wavre, where Belfius Hockey Arena is.
Planning your trip with the tournament just weeks away
With the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 starting on 15 August, now is the time to lock in your travel plans for the best-value flights and accommodation rates.
But before booking anything, decide the shape of your trip. Consider:
- How many nights in total you have available
- Which host city you will base yourself in
- If you will day trip to the other host city or spend a few nights there
- Whether you will include Brussels/Amsterdam in your itinerary
When planning your Europe trip, check the official match schedule and identify the fixtures you most want to see. That will help you understand how long you need in each host city, and which days you need to be where.
Finally, if you’re considering staying until the end of the tournament, note that the men’s final is scheduled to take place in Wavre (Belgium) while the women’s will be in Amsterdam (The Netherlands).
Stay connected across both countries with Holafly
Bouncing between Wavre and Amsterdam, you don’t want to lose signal at the border or hunt for stadium Wi-Fi. A Holafly eSIM keeps you online across Belgium and the Netherlands with unlimited data, 5G speeds, and 24/7 customer support, so you can check match schedules, grab a last-minute train, and share the action as it happens. One eSIM for Europe covers both host countries, and Holafly Plans offers pay-monthly coverage across 160+ destinations if your trip stretches further.
What’s more, every Holafly eSIM comes with Always On, 1 GB of monthly backup data at no additional cost. It activates automatically as long as the eSIM stays installed on your device, renews every month, and works in 150+ destinations. So even if your main data runs low mid-tournament, you can still pull up your ticket or map the route to the next match.
Whether you base yourself in Belgium, the Netherlands, or split your days between both, Holafly keeps you connected even when plans change.
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Hi, I'm Mika, a South Korean writer living in the US. I cover travel and live events, focusing on the practical stuff that makes your trip smoother, whether you're navigating a new city or heading to a major international event.I'm also the founder of Search SEOul, South Korea's leading SEO conference, bringing together search marketing experts and speakers from around the world.
