~ 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 women’s team, ranked #6 in the world.
"VAN" (Sports Desk - 10.08.2026) :: Spain secured their place at the FIH Hockey World Cup with a superb bronze-medal finish at the EuroHockey Championship 2025 in Mönchengladbach (GER), their highest placing in the competition since 2003.
The Red Sticks went unbeaten through the pool phase, drawing with Belgium (2-2) and Scotland (1-1) before sealing a semi-final berth with a 2-1 victory over England thanks to goals from Luciana Molina – who represented Argentina between 2013 and 2015 – and Lucia Jimenez. Although their title hopes were ended by a 3-1 semi-final defeat to the Netherlands, Spain responded magnificently to defeat Belgium in the bronze-medal match. After a goalless contest, shot-stopper Clara Pérez produced a series of outstanding saves in the shoot-out to secure a 2-1 victory, earning herself the Goalkeeper of the Tournament award.
Spain finished sixth in the 2025-26 FIH Hockey Pro League but produced several eye-catching performances. Early home victories over Belgium (1-0) and Germany (3-1) in Valencia were followed by an impressive 4-1 away success against Australia in Tasmania, with Lucia Jimenez, Sofia Rogoski, Laura Bosch and Marta Segu all finding the net. Arguably their finest performances came in London in June, where they defeated Argentina (2-1) and hosts England (1-0) on successive days to underline their ability to compete with the world's best. Molina and Florencia Amundson scored against Las Leonas, with Amundson also netting the winner against England. Patricia Alvarez finished as Spain's leading scorer in the competition with five goals, while Amundson added four.
Nickname: Red Sticks
How they qualified: 3rd place – EuroHockey Championship 2025, Mönchengladbach (GER)
Notable honours: Olympic gold medallists (1992), FIH Hockey World Cup bronze medallists (2018), 2x European Championship silver medallists (1995, 2003), European Championship bronze medallists (2025), Champions Challenge 1 silver medallists (2003), FIH Hockey Nations Cup gold medallists (2023-24), FIH Hockey Nations Cup silver medallists (2022).
Rank in previous WC editions: 1974 – 6th, 1976 – 5th, 1978 – 8th, 1981 – 10th, 1986 – 11th, 1990 – 5th, 1994 – 8th, 2002 – 8th, 2006 – 4th, 2010 – 12th, 2018 – 3rd, 2022 – 7th
Head coach: Carlos Garcia Cuenca. Building on the strong foundations laid by predecessor Adrian Lock, Carlos Garcia Cuenca has made a significant impact since taking charge in September 2023. Under his leadership, Spain won the 2023-24 FIH Hockey Nations Cup before claiming that outstanding bronze medal at the EuroHockey Championship 2025.
Quote: Carlos Garcia Cuenca: "It's a very challenging World Cup, and the competition format makes it one of the fairest tournaments from a sporting perspective. Our realistic objective is to finish among the top six teams in the world. Once we achieve that, why shouldn't we aim for the medals?"
"We wanted to do something different, something that would make it very difficult for our opponents to compete against us. We arrive at the World Cup with a defensive game model that I believe has now reached its highest level of execution."
One to watch: Xantal Gine. With more than 230 international appearances, co-captain Xantal Gine is the most experienced player in the squad as well as a superb defender and inspirational leader for the Red Sticks. Alongside the team's bronze medal at the 2025 EuroHockey Championship, Gine also helped Spain claim World Cup bronze at London 2018.
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