~ As we count down to the highly anticipated FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026, we take a closer look at the competing men's and women's teams ready to battle for global supremacy. In this special preview series, we profile each nation's journey to the tournament, examining their road to qualification, historic achievements, key players to watch, and the tactical minds leading them into the ultimate hockey showcase. In today’s story we take a look at the Spanish men’s team, ranked #6 in the world.
"VAN" (Sports Desk - 10.08.2026) :: Renowned for their flair, skill and attacking hockey, the Red Sticks are one of the most talented and unpredictable teams in the international game. Time and again, they have shown that, on their day, they are capable of beating the very best.
The past two years have seen Spain produce a series of outstanding performances, combining fearless attacking play with growing defensive resilience. Their third-place finish in the 2024-25 FIH Hockey Pro League was their best in the competition to date, securing qualification for this year's FIH Hockey World Cup and underlining the progress made by this exciting group.
They carried that confidence into the EuroHockey Championship 2025 in Mönchengladbach, where they claimed a superb bronze medal. Striker Nicolas Alvarez scored three important goals, including the decisive strike in the 2-0 bronze-medal victory over France, while established figures such as Pepe Cunill, Marc Recasens, José Basterra and team captain Marc Miralles all delivered when it mattered most.
Although Spain made a difficult start to the 2025-26 FIH Hockey Pro League by losing their opening seven matches, they produced a remarkable turnaround to banish any relegation concerns. The Red Sticks collected 17 points from their final eight matches, recording convincing victories over Pakistan (5-1 and 4-2) alongside impressive wins against Argentina (3-2) and reigning world and European champions Germany (5-2). The victory over Germany was particularly significant, with attacking ace Basterra and penalty corner specialist Cunill each scoring twice in Berlin as Spain ended their campaign in style. Basterra finished as the team's leading scorer with nine goals, while Cunill and Alvarez contributed eight and seven respectively.
Nickname: Red Sticks
How they qualified: 3rd place – 2024-25 FIH Hockey Pro League
Notable honours: 3x Olympic silver medallists (1980, 1996, 2008), Olympic bronze medallists (1960), 2x FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup silver medallists (1971, 1998), 2x European champions (1974, 2005), 3x European silver medallists (2003, 2007, 2019), 2x European bronze medallists (1970, 2025), FIH Champions Trophy winners (2004).
Rank in previous WC editions: 1971 – 2nd, 1973 – 5th, 1975 – 8th, 1978 – 5th, 1982 – 11th, 1986 – 5th, 1990 – 8th, 1994 – 9th, 1998 – 2nd, 2002 – 11th, 2006 – 3rd, 2010 – 5th, 2014 – 8th, 2018 – 13th, 2023 – 6th
Head coach: Max Caldas. Named FIH Men's Coach of the Year for 2025, former Argentina international Max Caldas boasts one of the most impressive coaching résumés in world hockey. After guiding the Netherlands women to Olympic gold (2012) and World Cup glory (2014), he led the Dutch men to three EuroHockey Championship titles (2015, 2021 and 2023). Having already steered Spain to bronze medals in both the FIH Hockey Pro League and EuroHockey Championship in 2025, his ability to deliver success at the highest level shows no sign of slowing.
Quote: Max Caldas: “This team has grown in terms of players, people, and leaders. I want to see this team compete because it's going to make an entire country proud”
One to watch: Nicolas Alvarez. A fearless and clinical striker, the 23-year-old from Santander has emerged as one of the brightest talents in world hockey. Across the past two editions of the FIH Hockey Pro League, Alvarez has scored 16 goals, with an impressive 15 coming from open play.
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