| Tournament: | Men's field hockey at the 1996 Summer Olympics |
| Size: | 220px |
| Country: | United States |
| City: | Atlanta |
| Dates: | 20 July – 2 August |
| Venues: | Herndon Stadium Panther Stadium |
| Teams: | 12 |
| Count: | 1 |
| Matches: | 42 |
| Goals: | 173 |
| Top Scorer: |  Taco van den Honert Greg Nicol |
| Top Scorer Goals: | 7 |
| Previous Year: | 1992 |
| Previous Tournament: | Field hockey at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament |
| Next Year: | 2000 |
| Next Tournament: | Field hockey at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament |
The men's field hockey tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics was the 18th edition of the field hockey event for men at the Summer Olympic Games. It was held over a fourteen-day period beginning on 20 July, and culminating with the medal finals on 2 August. Games were played at the Herndon Stadium and the Panther Stadium, both located in Atlanta, United States.
The Netherlands won the gold medal for the first time after defeating Spain 3–1 in the final. Australia won the bronze medal by defeating Germany 3–2.[1]
Each of the continental champions from five federations, the previous Olympic and World champions and the host nation received an automatic berth. Alongside the teams qualifying through the Olympic Qualification Tournament, twelve teams competed in this tournament.
| Dates | Event | Location | Qualifier(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host nation | ||||
| 26 July – 6 August 1992 | 1992 Summer Olympics | Barcelona, Spain | ||
| 4–15 October 1994 | 1994 Asian Games | Hiroshima, Japan | ||
| 23 November – 4 December 1994 | 1994 Hockey World Cup | Sydney, Australia | ||
| 12–25 March 1995 | 1995 Pan American Games | Mar del Plata, Argentina | ||
| 22–27 May 1995 | 1995 Oceania Qualifying Tournament | Auckland, New Zealand | ||
| August 1995 | 1995 EuroHockey Nations Championship | Dublin, Ireland | — | |
| 13–23 September 1995 | 1995 All-Africa Games | Harare, Zimbabwe | ||
| 19–28 January 1996 | Olympic Qualification Tournament | Barcelona, Spain | ||
– Germany qualified both as previous Olympic and continental champion, therefore that quota was added to the ones awarded by the Olympic Qualification Tournament to a total of 5.
See main article: Field hockey at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's team squads.
All times are Eastern Daylight Time
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