Scotland World Cup 2026 squad numbers: Steve Clarke hints at starting XI
FIFA have released the confirmed squad numbers for the 2026 World Cup and they reveal one or two clues as to Steve Clarke’s thinking
Along with those of all the other competing nations, Scotland’s official squad numbers for the World Cup 2026 have been announced. While these days, tournament squad numbers don’t always reflect a player’s role in the team, there are a few talking points in the announcement of Scotland’s allocations.
Head coach Steve Clarke is preparing to lead Scotland out for their first World Cup since 1998 and squad number announcements are a big part of the excitement for many fans. Whether it’s to know what nameset to get printed on their new kit or to gain an insight into the manager’s plans or simply part of the general tournament buzz, confirmed squad numbers are always keenly anticipated.
Although Scotland haven’t yet made any official announcement or social media posts themselves on the subject of squad numbers, FIFA have already confirmed the numbers of all the squads at the tournament.
Angus Gunn handed the no.1 jersey
Perhaps the biggest call in Scotland’s number allocations is the decision to hand the number one jersey to Angus Gunn. None of Scotland’s three goalkeepers have played much club football this season, leading to speculation as to who was the favourite to start the tournament between the sticks.
It seems that Gunn has won the battle to convince Clarke he is the man to be trusted with the no.1 jersey, despite having played just 45 minutes of football for Nottingham Forest this season. He was also an unused sub in Scotland’s last two friendly matches, but did play 90 minutes against Japan in March.
In Scotland’s friendly win over Curaçao on Saturday, goalkeeping duties were shared between veteran Craig Gordon, who featured in three games for Hearts this season, and Liam Kelly, who made three cup appearances for Rangers in 2025/26. It should be expected, therefore, that Gunn will start against Bolivia on Saturday and may well get the full 90 minutes in preparation for starting against Haiti the following weekend.
Sticking to tradition
Elsewhere, Scotland’s squad numbers hold few surprises and mostly stick to tradition. John McGinn has become synonymous with the no.7, likewise Andrew Robertson with no.3, Kieran Tierney with no.6 and Scott McTominay no.4.
Aaron Hickey being handed the no.2 jersey over Nathan Patterson (no.22) and Anthony Ralston (no.24) should indicate that he is in line to start the tournament at right back, but a lack of gametime for Brentford this season means that he will likely have to share minutes with at least one of the other two, neither of whom have been regulars for Everton and Celtic respectively. Indeed, it is likely the fitness concerns over Hickey and Patterson that prompted Clarke to surprise many and bring Ralston as a third option at right back.
Shankland misses out on the no.9
Clarke’s decision to select five centre forwards in his 26-man squad also raised some eyebrows, especially as he usually starts with just one. Lyndon Dykes (no.9) and Che Adams (no.10) are the most experienced options with almost 100 caps between them, but many fans would have liked the more prolific Lawrence Shankland (no.20) to be handed the no.9 jersey as an indication that he holds an important place in Clarke’s plans.
The other number that raised some eyebrows was Tyler Fletcher, son of Scotland legend Darren Fletcher, being listed as the no.8. Fletcher’s inclusion after playing just 17 minutes of senior football for Manchester United was an odd decision from Clarke, but his squad number is likely just a case of inheriting the number 8 from the injured Billy Gilmour after the other numbers had already been confirmed.
Scotland World Cup 2026 squad numbers
1: Angus Gunn
2: Aaron Hickey
3: Andy Robertson
4: Scott McTominay
5: Grant Hanley
6: Kieran Tierney
7: John McGinn
8: Tyler Fletcher
9: Lyndon Dykes
10: Che Adams
11: Ryan Christie
12: Liam Kelly
13: Jack Hendry
14: Ross Stewart
15: John Souttar
16: Dominic Hyam
17: Ben Gannon-Doak
18: George Hirst
19: Lewis Ferguson
20: Lawrence Shankland
21: Craig Gordon
22: Nathan Patterson
23: Kenny McLean
24: Anthony Ralston
25: Findlay Curtis
26: Scott McKenna
