How Scotland's World Cup 2026 dream was realised

Steve Clarke’s men joined 53 other nations in a bulging pot for the 2026 European World Cup draw on December 13, 2024. Seeded third, Scotland weren’t going to get it easy. A format change meant they were set to go into a four-team group. Six matches, played across three months in the latter part of 2025. Short, sharp, and hopefully very sweet.

It is often forgotten that Scotland had to wait until the following March to fully discover their complete roster of opponents in Group C. It was to be either Portugal or Denmark alongside Greece and Belarus. The loser of their Nations League quarter-final in Lisbon would go into this pool. The Portuguese edged past the Danes in extra time and the latter was given a date with Scotland and Co.

While the Scots had avoided one of Europe’s heavyweights, this on paper looked a competitive little section. The top three seeds all harboured genuine ambitions of reaching the World Cup and Belarus were one of the better-ranked countries from Pot 4. But the overall sentiment was one of positivity – Scotland could navigate their way to the Americas.

“I always just take the draw as it comes and I’m not one to overthink it but there’s a lot of interesting matches,” head coach Clarke, pictured left, said at the time. “I said that one of my main remaining ambitions is to go to a World Cup with my country. These qualifying games give me an opportunity to do that and I’m going to give it everything I’ve got and I’m sure my players will do the same.”

The Danes were made favourites to finish top of the group. Many had Greece and Scotland down for a straight shoot-out for second place. As the fates would have it, Scotland faced Greece in a Nations League play-off in March 2025. Scott McTominay scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over in Piraeus before the Greeks stormed Hampden, winning 3-0 and relegating Scotland to League B.

The Greeks may have won that battle – but they lost the war.

On to early September and World Cup qualification was up and running. Scotland had two away matches to commence proceedings: Denmark on the 5th, Belarus on the 8th. Clarke took his players to Copenhagen with lots of hope but little expectation. The Danes don’t lose often at Parken Stadion.

And they didn’t. But they didn’t win either. Scotland put in a resolute and determined display to take a goalless draw away from Denmark. Clarke started both Lyndon Dykes and Che Adams in attack. Scotland caused the hosts issues and were well worth their point, although they were given a late scare when Max Johnston avoided a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity after a long ball struck his arm. Referee Daniel Siebert reviewed the incident on the advice of VAR, but stuck to his guns.

Buoyed, Scotland headed to the sleepy Hungarian city of Zalaegerszeg to face Belarus. Due to their support of Russia in its conflict with Ukraine, Belarus were denied home advantage. Their games were to be played at the ZTE Arena in front of no fans. It was a hark back to the Covid-19 days.

The helping hand from the east

Skelped 5-1 by Greece three days earlier, Belarus were more competitive this time around, but Scotland got the job done. Adams broke stubborn resistance just before half-time, and then a Zakhar Volkov own goal settled matters. News filtered through that Denmark had won 3-0 away at Greece. The point in Copenhagen already looked important.

Scotland now had two home games to look forward to in October. The Greeks arrived on an autumnal Thursday night stung and knowing they needed to win. Their wonderkid, winger Konstantinos Karetsas, was only fit enough to make the bench. Nevertheless, Greece took the lead through Kostas Tsimikas just after the hour mark. Hampden drew its breath. The visitors were worth their lead.

Scotland, however, dug deep. Ryan Christie levelled minutes later and then in a frantic end to the match, Lewis Ferguson put the hosts in front and Dykes sealed the deal in stoppage time. With two defeats, Greece were on life support already. It looked like a shoot-out between Scotland and Denmark now, especially with the Danes walloping Belarus 6-0 in Hungary.

A stung Belarus arrived at Hampden three days later and gave Scotland a game. This was a poor performance by the hosts and Clarke admitted as much after the narrow 2-1 success. Adams, inset, and McTominay were the goalscorers and Belarus netted at the death through Hleb Kuchko, but they had a goal disallowed earlier in the game and made Hampden edgy. As Clarke also pointed out, points win prizes, not prettiness.

With two qualifiers to go, Greece were already eliminated. They lost 3-1 to Denmark and Scotland were at least assured of a play-off place. November was set to be huge.

Scotland’s first part of the double-header was away to Greece on November 15. No 1 keeper Angus Gunn was injured so Craig Gordon, at the age of 42, was brought back in. Greece had a point to prove in Piraeus and were 3-0 up by 62 minutes. While Scotland rallied against ten men following a red card to one of the goalscorers, Tasos Bakasetas, the strikes from Ben Gannon-Doak and Christie weren’t enough. It felt like Scotland were destined for the play-off.

This is where Belarus come in. Nobody gave them a hope in Copenhagen against Denmark at the same time and when the Danes led early through Mikkel Damsgaard, it appeared Brian Riemer’s men were on course for top spot.

Valeriy Gromyko and Nikita Demchenko should be Scottish national treasures. They scored twice inside three second-half minutes to put the visitors into a shock lead and while Denmark levelled, they could not find a winner. The 2-2 draw saved Scotland’s bacon. A point behind Denmark but with an inferior goal difference, it gave them a cup final at Hampden on November 18.

Hampden was at its best. Most of you know the story but let us tell it anyway. McTominay stunned the world with an incredible bicycle kick on three minutes. The best goal you’ve ever seen? Probably. Rasmus Hojlund netted a 57th-minute penalty after an errant tackle from Andy Robertson but the Danes turned the gun on themselves with a cheap red card for Rasmus Kristiansen.

Scotland went for it. Lawrence Shankland cutely finished from a corner. A goal and a man up, Scotland sensed the World Cup coming closer. Patrick Dorgu had other ideas and equalised on 81 minutes. Denmark were now on the plane. Until stoppage time.

Kieran Tierney’s curled beauty put Scotland back in front on 93 minutes and then Kenny McLean lobbed Kasper Schmeichel five minutes later. What an absurd, astonishing way to end a 28-year wait for a place at the World Cup finals.

Denmark faltered in the play-offs. Something died inside them at Hampden that night.

Scotland are alive and kicking, though. It was a glorious way to punch a ticket to the big stage. Now it’s about punching a way through to a place we have not been before: the knock-out stages. Haiti, Morocco and Brazil stand in our way. And as you’ll go on to read, nothing is straightforward for Scotland at a World Cup ...

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