Hockey World Cup 2023: Pool A and B previews

The FIH Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 is just two days away. The teams have been divided into four pools. Hosts India are in Pool D, along with England, Spain and Wales.

Argentina are the Olympic champions from Rio 2016. They have been crowned Pan American champions on 14 separate occasions. The team is coached by former Argentina goalkeeper Mariano Ronconi.

Argentina's men's football team won the Pan American Cup in Chile in November. Agustin Mazzilli, Lucas Vila and Matias Rey were named Player of the Tournament. Argentina's team beat reigning Olympic and World champions Belgium 2-1 in the November match.

Australia's men's hockey team is the most successful in the last 30 years. They have won Olympic, World Cup, FIH Hockey Pro League and Oceania Cup titles. In 2022, they won their seventh Commonwealth Games title. A shoot-out loss to Belgium in gold medal match at the delayed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 was painful.

France are preparing for the 2023 FIH Men's World Cup in Bhubaneswar. They finished seventh at the 1990 competition in Lahore. France will play in the same pool as Rio 2016 Olympic champions Argentina, Spain, and New Zealand. Les Bleus beat Spain and Argentina to reach the quarterfinals. In the last eight, they met Australia. France are building towards the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

South Africa won the recent FIH Hockey Men's Nations Cup and earned a ticket to the next edition of the elite FIh Hockey Pro League. They finished top of their group with victories over Pakistan, France, and Korea. Dayaan Cassiem scored twice in the title match, with younger sibling Mustaphaa netting a penalty stroke won by his big brother. Striker Tevin Kok is proving himself to be a reliable source of goals, while 33-year-old defender Jethro Eustice brings a steady, experienced head to a group brimming with youth and talent.

Belgium are among the favourites to defend the world hockey title they won in Bhubaneswar four years ago. The team is coached by Dutchman Michel van den Heuvel. Belgium have won the World Cup, Olympic Games, European Championship and FIH Hockey Pro League in the last five years.

Germany have won four Olympic gold medals, two World Cups and eight European titles. Niklas Wellen and Alexander Stadler were shortlisted for the FIH Hockey Stars Awards for 2022. Christopher Rühr, Mats Grambusch and Gonzalo Peillat are other stars in the Germany squad.

Japan are making their first FIH Men's World Cup appearance since Mönchengladbach 2006. They were recently in action at the FIh Hockey Men’s Nations Cup in South Africa, recording wins against Canada and Pakistan. The team is coached by Akira Takahashi, who represented Japan at 2002 FIHF Men't's Cup and was head coach of the Samurais four years later in Möchendladbin.

Korea won the 2022 Men's Hockey Asia Cup. They have been involved in two high profile competitions in recent months. Malaysia defeated them 3-2 in the final of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in November. Korea won bronze at the inaugural FIH Hockey Nations Cup, but they still qualified for the next edition of FIh Hockey Pro League.