Scottish national team experiences American football with the Panthers

Jun 10, 2026 at 08:56 AM

Kassidy Hill

The Carolina Panthers are visited by members of the Scotland National team at practice on Tuesday, Jun 9, 2026 at Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC. The Carolina Panthers are listed by members of the Scotland National team at practice on Tuesday, Jun 9, 2026 at Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.

CHARLOTTE — The World Cup is an enthralling melting pot of cultures. A chance for every country to share the best of who we are with the rest of humanity in the name of something universal: competition and a love of sport.

So when the Scottish national team arrived here this week—where they will use Charlotte FC’s Atrium Health Performance Park as a home base before opening group stage play in Boston and Miami—the team of Scots began asking what they could fit in of Charlotte between training sessions.

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Native Charlottean Ikem Ekwonu provided a bucket list consisting of one item.

"He was kind enough to give us a Bojangles recommendation," proudly shared Scottish forward George Hirst. "Said we've got to go there while we're here, and gave us a few tips on what to order.

"I can't tell you what, just in case our manager's listening. It's a secret. It was his special order, so we're just going to go in and ask for the Ickey special."

While the Bojangles Ickey Special™ will be new, Hirst and three teammates (Ché Adams, Craig Gordon, and Angus Gunn) strolled onto the Panthers' practice field Tuesday during minicamp, thinking at least this would seem familiar.

American football and fútbol have plenty of marked differences, but they are still sports sharing a name, played on fields roughly the same shape, that require intense training. The Scots thought they'd recognize what they were seeing.

But first, there was the heat. Actually, like a good Southern afternoon, it wasn't the heat; it was the humidity, which hit 90 percent on Tuesday.

"It's been good as part of our heat acclimatization, I guess, to come and stand out here for a little bit and get used to the heat," joked Hirst with the tone of someone determined not to let it beat him. "The way these guys train is, it looks absolutely relentless, so take a few notes out of there."

There was also the general vibe around the two-hour practice that caters to an offseason 90-man roster. World Cup rosters consist of 26 players, and the average MLS roster is 20-30 players.

"Honestly, I didn't really know what to expect, but it was nothing like what I expected," admitted Hirst.

"It's just the music going off, the different teams and the different sides of the game, it's completely different to fútbol in so many different ways. But all the guys that we've met have been so nice, chatty, friendly, it's been wicked."

OK, so the Bojangles is a new twist, and the weather and general structure of a football practice were different. Surely, though, a group of athletes who kick a ball for the entire game would feel more comfortable kicking, right?

The Carolina Panthers are listed by members of the Scotland National team at practice on Tuesday, Jun 9, 2026 at Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC. The Carolina Panthers are listed by members of the Scotland National team at practice on Tuesday, Jun 9, 2026 at Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.

They certainly thought so, and listened patiently as Panthers' kicker Ryan Fitzgerald talked them through setting the football up on the tee at a standard NFL field goal distance. Then, they took their shot.

Well, that came with a bit of a surprise, too.

"Yeah, I kind of thought it would be something that we were really, really good at from the get-go, you know, we kick a ball about for a living," joked Hirst. "But it's different. It's a different technique, it's a different ball, it's just different in so many different ways."

Because while a soccer ball is round, a football is a shape most would call oblong, but is best described as "warped space that follows no rules of physics."

"You can run towards it, and it'll bounce away from you, and then you chase it again, and it goes the other way," exclaimed Hirst. "Whereas a soccer ball is a little bit more predictable."

So Fitzgerald, JJ Jansen, and Sam Martin shared a few secrets and tips, such as where to hit the ball, how to account for the laces, and what trajectory to follow. The secrets weren't as valuable as Ekwonu's Bojangles order, but still helpful since, from there, each guy was able to knock in field goals that got progressively farther away.

"It was enjoyable to get a few tips, and you never know," shrugged Hirst, "maybe one day it can be a little career change, you never know."

Before any career change, though, Hirst and the Scottish national team have a pretty important tournament to take care of. And maybe in between games, they'll soak up all the Queen City has to offer.

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Maz Mwansa and Maema Njongmeta are seen during Carolina Panthers Mandatory Mini Camp on Tuesday, Jun 9, 2026 at Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.