Olympic champions Argentina will clash with Belgium in a repeat of the final at last year's Games in Rio de Janeiro ©Getty Images

Olympic champions Argentina will clash with Belgium in a repeat of the final at last year's Games in Rio de Janeiro after the two sides were drawn together in Pool A of the Men's Hockey World League Final in Bhubaneswar.

A total of eight teams are due to compete at the tournament, which begins tomorrow and concludes next Sunday (December 10).

The Netherlands and Spain join Argentina and Belgium in Pool A.

Pool B is comprised of defending Hockey World League champions Australia, who are also the current world champions, hosts India, Germany and England.

The winner of the tournament in the Indian city will qualify for next year's Champions Trophy.

The event will also be a dress rehearsal for Indian organisers as Bhubaneswar is scheduled to host the 2018 Men's Hockey World Cup.

Australia come into the event hoping to retain their Hockey World League title ©Getty Images
Australia come into the event hoping to retain their Hockey World League title ©Getty Images

Australia are seen by many as the favourites to retain their title but coach Colin Batch believes the event is wide-open and any of the competing sides can lift the trophy.

"It's difficult to consistently win tournaments these days because of the quality of the opposition," he told ESPN.

"You need a little bit of luck along the way. 

"Sometimes your quarter-final opponent can be a team that's out of form, [sometimes] you meet a team that's the best in the competition and that means you get knocked out."

All eight teams will qualify for the quarter-final stage.

Their final place in the pool will determine who they face in the last eight.

The tournament begins with two matches tomorrow as Germany play England before Australia take on the host nation.