Scotland men’s hockey stand on the brink of history as they prepare for the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026, with captain Rob Field describing the opportunity as something players “dream about as kids”.

For Scotland, qualification would mark a first-ever appearance at a men's FIH Hockey World Cup, a milestone that adds extra meaning to the challenge ahead.

“To captain the team is a real honour,” said Field. “And knowing it could be the pathway to our first-ever World Cup makes it even more special. It’s something you dream about as a kid.”

While the stakes are high, Field believes the balance between excitement and pressure is one the squad is embracing rather than fearing.

“There’s definitely a mix of excitement and pressure, but I see that as a positive thing,” he explained. “The excitement comes from the opportunity. Not many groups get the chance to create history, and that’s something we’re embracing.”

Scotland arrive at the qualifiers in Santiago Chile with a squad that blends youth, form and growing experience on the international stage. Despite not having previously featured at a World Cup, the team has steadily built belief through recent campaigns.

“We’ve got a really exciting group of players right now,” Field said. “There’s a lot of quality in the squad, a number of guys in great form, and I genuinely believe we play a brand of hockey that’s exciting. That gives us confidence.”

Key to that confidence is the experience gained from recent FIH tournaments and continental competitions, including last year’s Nations Cup 2 triumph.

“We’re a relatively young group, but we’ve also been together for a while,” Field noted. “A lot of our younger players have already experienced multiple international tournaments. Winning the Nations Cup 2 showed us that we can handle the pressure of knockout hockey and that we can find ways to win.”

For Field, the prospect of leading Scotland onto the world’s biggest stage is deeply personal, but the focus remains firmly on the task at hand.

“Absolutely, it would be a dream come true,” he said. “Representing your country at a World Cup is the highest level of the game, and to help Scotland reach one for the first time would be incredibly special.”

“We’re trying not to get too far ahead of ourselves,” Field added. “The focus is on taking each game as it comes and giving ourselves the best possible chance to make that dream a reality.”

As the qualifiers approach, Scotland men carry not only the hopes of a squad, but the possibility of making history for their nation.