The subject had already been under study for several months and it was confirmed this week.
Lhe Pro League will indeed offer direct qualification for the World Cup and the Olympic Games. What give a little more stakes to the world competition which will start its 4th edition in 10 days in Argentina with the Red Lions and the Red Panthers. Loss-making during the previous season (some media mention a loss reaching more than 1.35 million euros), the Pro League has never achieved the sporting and commercial objectives set at its launch.
In an online interview with several journalists, Thierry Weil, CEO of the FIH, announced that the winners of seasons 5 (2023-2024) and 6 (2024-2025) would qualify for the 2026 World Cup, while the champions seasons 7 (2025-2026) and 8 (2026-2027) would validate their ticket for the Games from the Los Angeles Games in 2028. The Frenchman also specified that this qualification would not affect the continental championships, which offer, also, places for the 2 major tournaments.
