Belgium Hockey: Small Country, Giant Teams

Belgium isn’t a big country. So how is it doing this?

Right now, the FIH rankings have the Belgian men second in the world on 3,692 points and the Belgian women third on 3,494. Same country, same moment, two top-three teams. Only Germany sits above the men. Only the Netherlands and Argentina sit above the women. For our money, that’s not a golden generation getting lucky. That’s a system doing exactly what it was built to do.

It starts at home

The Belgian Hockey League runs 12 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams, and the 2026–27 season is already rolling. It started on 20 September 2026 and runs through to 23 May 2027.

The standard is set by the champions: Waterloo Ducks on the men’s side, Gantoise on the women’s. Everyone else spends the season trying to knock them off it, and week after week, that’s the level Belgium’s internationals play at when they’re not wearing the national shirt.

The kids are already through

Here’s the part that should worry everyone else: the pipeline isn’t slowing down. Both Belgian junior teams, men and women, have already qualified for the expanded 24-team Junior World Cups in 2027.

The senior sides weren’t built by accident, and the next wave is on exactly the same track.

Where Belgium turn up next

Both senior teams play the FIH Pro League 2026–27, which opens on 8 December 2026. Belgium are in the Valencia block in December, and they host their own block in Wavre in June 2027.

Home crowd, top opposition, a team that expects to win. SportsCursor will follow Belgium in the Countries section all season, because any country ranked this high in both games at once is the side the whole hockey world has to measure itself against.

Facts box — Belgium:

• FIH World Ranking (men): 2nd — 3,692 points (FIH update, 31 Aug 2026)
• FIH World Ranking (women): 3rd — 3,494 points
• Home league: Belgian Hockey League — 12 men’s + 12 women’s teams; 2026–27 season 20 Sep 2026 – 23 May 2027 (in season now); defending champions Waterloo Ducks (men), Gantoise (women)
• Juniors: Belgium men and women both qualified for the 2027 Junior World Cups
• Next major event: FIH Pro League 2026–27 — Belgium in the Valencia block (14–22 Dec 2026) and hosts in Wavre (12–27 Jun 2027)