Germany defeated Belgium in a penalty shoot-out 5–4 after the match ended in a 3–3 draw to win their third World Cup title.

[1] The Hockey World Cup was first conceived by Pakistan's Air Marshal Nur Khan.

He proposed his idea to the FIH through Patrick Rowley, the first editor of World Hockey magazine.

Their idea was approved on 26 October 1969 and adopted by the FIH Council at a meeting in Brussels on 12 April 1970.

The FIH had inadvertently scheduled the first World Cup to be played in Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War.

Pakistanis, led by cricketer Abdul Hafeez Kardar, protested against India's participation in the Hockey World Cup.

Given the intense political climate between Pakistan and India, the FIH decided to move the tournament elsewhere.

In March 1971, coincidentally in the same month Bangladesh declared independence from Pakistan, the FIH decided to move the first Hockey World Cup to the Real Club de Polo grounds in Barcelona, Spain, which was considered a neutral and peaceful European site.

The Hockey World Cup trophy was designed by the Bashir Moojid and created by the Pakistani Army.

On 27 March 1971, in Brussels, the trophy was formally handed to FIH President Rene Frank by Mr H.E Masood, the Pakistani Ambassador to Belgium.

Below is a list of teams that have finished in the top four positions in the tournament: Nine nations have hosted the Hockey World Cup.

To date, the finals of the Hockey World Cup have been contested by Asian, European and Oceania continental teams.