New Delhi [India], August 28 (ANI): Pakistan men's hockey team is set to make its debut in the FIH Pro League during the 2025-26 season, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) confirmed on Thursday, as per Olympics.com.

Pakistan's inclusion comes after New Zealand, winners of the 2024-25 FIH Nations Cup, decided to opt out of the tournament. As the runners-up at the Nations Cup in Malaysia, Pakistan were next in line for promotion and have accepted the vacant spot.

The Green Shirts, three-time Olympic champions and four-time Hockey World Cup winners, will now feature alongside some of the biggest names in world hockey. Their participation also guarantees two high-voltage India vs Pakistan encounters.

FIH president Tayyab Ikram welcomed the move.

'Great to see Pakistan back in elite competition - this is a truly impactful milestone for world hockey,' Ikram said, as quoted from Olympics.com.

'Their return marks not only the comeback of a team with such a rich and storied history, but also an exciting boost to the visibility and reach of the FIH Hockey Pro League,' he noted.

The FIH Pro League, launched in 2019, features the top nine men's and women's national teams in the world. Each team plays 16 matches in a round-robin format, with the table-toppers crowned champions. The bottom-placed side gets relegated to the second-tier Nations Cup, while the Nations Cup winners earn promotion.

Importantly, the 2025-26 edition of the Pro League will also act as a qualifier for the LA 2028 Olympics.

Pakistan will join Argentina, Australia, Belgium, England, Germany, India, Netherlands and Spain in the upcoming men's season.

The Netherlands have dominated the Pro League since its inception. While the Dutch women's team has lifted five titles, their men's side has won three championships and are the reigning champions in both categories.

For India, the men's team, which joined the Pro League in the 2020-21 season, endured a tough run in 2024-25, finishing eighth and narrowly avoiding relegation. The Indian women's team, which debuted in 2021-22 and secured a third-place finish in their maiden season, faced relegation after finishing last in 2024-25. (ANI)