What is the qualification system for the 2026 World Cup?

Next year another edition of the World Cup will be played, where different major teams will seek to establish champions. It will take place in Belgium and the Netherlands simultaneously ladies and gentlemen, and will consist of 16 teams in each category. It will be from August 14 to 30, 2026.
This tournament had its first men’s edition in 1971, where Pakistan emerged champion, and in 1974 it was the first women’s edition, and the Netherlands lifted the cup.
The quotas are distributed as follows: two for the hosts, two for the champions of seasons 5 (2023/24) and 6 (2024/25) of the Pro League, five for each continent with its respective qualifier, seven for the pre-world qualifier.
There are four teams that are already classified: Netherlands and Belgium (hosts) and Australia male and Germany female since the Oceanic team was champion of the 2023/24 Pro League, and the Teutons were second in that same Pro League season, behind the Netherlands, which gave up its place to host the competition.
Continental places will be delimited in the following tournaments: Africa Cup of Nations, Asia Cup, EuroHockey Championship, Pan American Cup (July 24 to August 3 in Montevideo, Uruguay)Oceania Cup. Each tournament will give a single place per category to the winner.
The pre-world qualifier has seven places and consists of: two tournaments with eight teams each (16 in total), in two groups of four. Those who finish in the first three places will play in the World Cup, while the last place will be limited to the best fourth place, that is, the country that is best in the world ranking.