Nickname: The Red Sticks

Previous FIH Hockey Pro League placements: 2019: 7th. 2020-21: 9th. 2021-22: 7th, 2022-23: 5th

Notable honours: Known for their flair, skill, and attacking prowess, the Red Sticks men are one of the most talented and unpredictable teams out there, having proven on countless occasions that, on their day, they can mix it with the very best teams in the world. As well as having rare talents such as electrifying attacker Enrique Gonzalez, classy captain Marc Miralles and experienced midfielder Alvaro Iglesias, they are also blessed with a highly respected head coach in Max Caldas, who enjoyed terrific success with the Netherlands women and men, guiding the former to World Cup and Olympic glory and the latter to two European Championship titles. Spain’s 2022-23 FIH Hockey Pro League campaign was their most successful to date, securing a fifth-place finish and recording some eye-catching results including wins against India, Argentina and Great Britain as well as double victories over Olympic silver medallists Australia and 2023 World champions Germany. A disappointing sixth-place finish at August’s EuroHockey Championships 2023 aside, there are clear signs that Spain are thriving under coach Caldas and will be fiercely competitive in this year’s FIH Hockey Pro League.

This season, Spain will take to the field for FIH Hockey Pro League ‘mini-tournaments’ in Bhubaneswar (IND), Rourkela (IND), Antwerp (BEL) and London (ENG).

One to watch: Marc Miralles. 26-year-old Marc Miralles is wonderfully gifted midfielder who has embraced the responsibility that came with being named Red Sticks captain in 2022. At the time of writing, Miralles is two matches away from a century of international appearances, having scored 32 times for his country