~ Host nation India will take on Belgium and Argentina from February 10 to 15 as they look to build early winning momentum ~
New Delhi, February 10, 2026: The Indian men’s hockey team will open its FIH Men’s Pro League 2025-2026 campaign at home during the Rourkela leg, scheduled from February 10 to 15, 2026 at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, where the hosts will take on Belgium and Argentina in what promises to be an intense start to the season.
After finishing in eighth place in the previous edition, India will look to start the new campaign strongly and build early winning momentum in front of the home crowd. The squad, which features a balanced mix of experienced internationals and emerging young talent, will look to take advantage of familiar conditions as they take on two of the world’s top-ranked teams.
While India are yet to open their season, both Argentina and Belgium arrive in Rourkela after a solid start to the season. Argentina are currently second in the standings with 11 points, having played four matches, recording three regular-time wins and one shootout win. Belgium, meanwhile, are in third place with 10 points, also from four games, after three regular-time wins and one shootout defeat.
India will start their campaign against Belgium on February 11, followed by a match against Argentina on February 12. The home team will play Belgium again on February 14 before the leg against Argentina concludes on February 15. All matches will start at 7:30 PM IST.
Historically, Belgium has had the upper hand in head-to-head clashes against India in recent years. Since 2013, the two sides have met 35 times, with Belgium winning 22 matches, India 11 and two matches ending in a draw. However, against Argentina, India have a stronger record, winning 10 of the 19 meetings since 2013, compared to Argentina’s seven wins, with two draws.
Ahead of their opening match, Indian team captain Harmanpreet Singh said: “I am very happy to see youngsters like Amandeep Lakra, Manmeet Singh and Rosan Kujur earning their chances in the side. They have performed exceptionally well in the recent Hero Hockey India League and have shown great potential. This is the right time for them to step up at the international level, and I am confident they will make the most of this opportunity. The entire team is fit, motivated and excited, and we are looking forward to it to allow these young players to express themselves and contribute strongly to the team’s performance.”
With passionate support expected at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, the Indian team will look to convert home advantage into crucial points and make a confident start to their FIH Pro League 2025-2026 journey.
Meanwhile, Belgium team captain Arthur Van Doren, while sharing his thoughts ahead of the matches against Argentina and India, said: “The Hero Hockey India League experience has been great. Personally, I love coming to India, and winning the competition made it even more special. Spending time here allows you to get used to the conditions and culture, which is always beneficial when you are here for a longer period of time. But whether it gives us an immediate advantage as a Belgian team is difficult to say, but what really helped was that we arrived early. We had a solid and intense training block here, which meant we spent a lot of quality time together as a group over the winter.
“Moreover, many of our players played in the Hero Hockey India League and performed very well. We feel sharp, we feel strong and there is a lot of confidence and energy in the squad. Overall, we are very happy with our preparation for the Rourkela leg of the Pro League,” he concluded.
All India matches of FIH Men’s Pro League 2025-26 Rourkela match will be telecast on Star Sports Khel and JioHotstar while other matches will be streamed live on Jio Hotstar.