Qualification
Each of the continental champions from five confederations and the host nation received an automatic berth. The European confederation received one extra quota based upon the FIH World Rankings. Alongside with the five teams qualifying through the Qualifier, twelve teams competed in this tournament.
| Dates | Event | Location | Qualifier(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Host nation | Germany | ||
| 21–28 September 2003 | 2003 Hockey Asia Cup | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | India |
| 12–23 May 2004 | 2004 Pan American Cup | London, Canada | Argentina |
| 28 August – 4 September 2005 | 2005 EuroHockey Nations Championship | Leipzig, Germany | Spain Netherlands |
| 1–8 October 2005 | 2005 Hockey African Cup for Nations | Pretoria, South Africa | South Africa |
| 15–19 November 2005 | 2005 Oceania Cup | Suva, Fiji | Australia |
| 12–23 April 2006 | Qualifier | Changzhou, China | New Zealand Korea England Pakistan Japan |
Read more about this topic: 2006 Men's Hockey World Cup