Scotland’s 28-year wait to qualify for the World Cup was finally ended last month when their memorable 4-2 win over Denmark saw them top their group and gain a direct passage to next summer’s tournament.
Set to take place across USA, Mexico, and Canada, Steve Clarke’s side won’t have to wait anywhere near as long to discover who they will face at the competition, with the draw set to take place at the Kennedy Center in the American capital of Washington DC on Friday, December 5.
With Scotland placed in pot 3 of the draw, they know they will face a nation from pot 1, pot 2, and pot 4 - but which nations would be the most difficult to face?
Here, The Scotsman rank every pot 2 team in the World Cup 2026 draw ranked on difficulty, from easiest to most difficult. Do you agree with our rankings?
9. Senegal (Difficulty rating: 6)
Improving game on game, Senegal showed their abilities recently by becoming the first - and only - team to beat Thomas Tuchel's England side in a friendly earlier this year. One of the tougher opponents in pot 2. | AFP via Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
10. Switzerland (Difficulty rating: 7)
Functional, talented, and led by Granit Xhaka, the Swiss are far from an easy test. Narrowly beaten by England on penalties at Euro 2024, Scotland faced them in their group stages and were able to muster a draw against them, but as experts in making the knockouts, Scotland will be eyeing the lower ranked nations in pot 2. | AFP via Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
11. Colombia (Difficulty rating: 7)
Ranked as high as 13th in the FIFA world rankings, the Colombians are a strong and physical opponent. Their best World Cup finish was the quarter-finals at the 2014, and they'll want to match, or better, that. Not unbeatable, but there are lower-ranked teams that Scotland would surely prefer. | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
12. Morocco (Difficulty rating: 7)
Currently ranked 11th in the FIFA world rankings, Morocco became the first African nation to make the semi-final of the World Cup at Qatar 2022. One of the toughest draws to get in pot 2, Scotland has a World Cup history with them already, having been knocked out in the group stage at the tournament in 1998. | AFP via Getty Images