The Hockey World Cup is an international field hockey competition organized by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). The tournament is held every four years, with the men’s tournament starting in 1971 and the women’s tournament starting in 1974. The current format of the tournament involves 16 teams in the men’s tournament and 14 teams in the women’s tournament, with the teams divided into groups for the initial round-robin stage, followed by knockout rounds to determine the champion.

The most successful teams in the men’s tournament are Pakistan and the Netherlands, who have each won the tournament three times. In the women’s tournament, the Netherlands and Argentina have each won the tournament twice.

The next Hockey World Cup is scheduled to be held in 2023 for Men and 2022 for Women. The host nation for the Men’s tournament is India and for the Women’s tournament it will be Spain.

Here is a list of some of the best field hockey players of all time, based on their career achievements, skill, and impact on the game:

1. Dhyan Chand (India) – Considered to be one of the greatest hockey players of all time, Chand led India to three Olympic gold medals in 1928, 1932, and 1936.
2. Ric Charlesworth (Australia) – A former player and coach, Charlesworth is widely considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game.
3. Sohail Abbas (Pakistan) – Considered one of the greatest drag-flickers of all time, Abbas set several records during his career, including the most goals scored in international matches by a field hockey player.
4. Teun de Nooijer (Netherlands) – Considered one of the greatest midfielders of all time, de Nooijer was a key player in the Netherlands’ success in the 1990s and 2000s.
5. David Bell (Australia) – Bell was a dominant player in the 1970s and 1980s, leading Australia to Olympic gold in 1980.
6. Floris Jan Bovelander (Netherlands) – Considered one of the greatest penalty corner specialists in the history of the game, Bovelander led the Netherlands to the 1996 Olympic gold medal.
7. Jörg Roßkopf (Germany) – Considered one of the greatest midfielders of all time, Roßkopf was a key player in Germany’s success in the 1990s and 2000s.
8. Jamie Dwyer (Australia) – Considered one of the greatest forwards of all time, Dwyer led Australia to two Olympic gold medals and five Champions Trophy titles.
9. Sándor Posta (Hungary) – Considered one of the greatest forwards of all time, Posta led Hungary to the 1964 Olympic gold medal.
10. Luciana Aymar (Argentina) – Considered one of the greatest female players of all time, Aymar led Argentina to several international titles and was named the International Hockey Federation’s Player of the Year eight times.

Please note that this list is not exhaustive and can be subjective based on different people’s opinions. There are many other players who could also be considered among the best of all time.