Scotland World Cup 2026 squad profile: Stars, weaknesses, ones to watch, prediction
Steve Clarke is preparing Scotland for their first World Cup since 1998 and trying to make the most of an imbalanced squad
Scotland are finally back on the world stage after enduring a 28-year wait to return to the World Cup. It has been a long time since France 1998, with many fans too young to even remember the last time the Tartan Army roared at international football’s biggest tournament.
While it is hard to avoid the conclusion that for Scotland the prize is just being there – and the importance of that achievement shouldn’t be underplayed – the expanded tournament format also gives them a chance to do what no Scotland team has ever done before: get past the group stages.
Despite mixed recent form, including back-to-back friendly losses to Japan and the Ivory Coast in March, Scotland arrive at the tournament on a high. Not only did the Scots qualify for the tournament for the first time in a generation, they did so somewhat emphatically, topping their qualification group and losing just one game in the process.
The drama of the final game against Denmark that secured direct qualification will also live long in the memory. Needing a win to avoid the playoffs, Scotland were twice pegged back by the Danes in Glasgow but emerged 4-2 victors with two stunning late goals from Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean that weren’t even the best goals of the game after Scott McTominay’s iconic bicycle kick opener.
Scotland followed up their 4-1 victory over Curaçao with another emphatic 4-0 win over Bolivia on Saturday, meaning they arrive at the tournament on a real wave of optimism. No one is losing sight of the scale of the task, though, as while Scotland might reasonably be expected to dispatch Haiti in their opening game, Morrocco and Brazil will both present very difficult challenges.
Strengths and weaknesses
The strengths and weaknesses of Scotland’s squad have remained pretty consistent in recent years. Stacked at left-back and central midfield, including some world-class stars, the squad, however, painfully lacks quality in other areas, particularly at centre back and centre-forward, while generally being short of pace and options in the wide forward areas.
Andrew Robertson and Kieran Tierney provide two more than capable options at left-back and Clarke will likely start Robertson in at least two of the games, with Tierney providing relief in the second half. In the past he has found ways to shoehorn Tierney into the side, but those experiments seem mostly a thing of the past despite their relative success and the former Arsenal man’s adaptability.
In midfield, despite the disappointment of Billy Gilmour’s injury Scotland still have one of the best players in Serie A in Scott McTominay, a 2026 Europa League winner in John McGinn, a 2025 Coppa Italia winner in Lewis Ferguson and Ryan Christie, who has been a key player for Andoni Iraola (insert article on Andoni Iraola/Liverpool)’s impressive Bournemouth team.
If only that quality and depth were reflected elsewhere, however, as there are no strikers of comparable quality, despite five being called up to the squad, and the options at centre-back include Grant Hanley who has been a bit-part player for Hibernian this season.
Meanwhile, on the wings, Ben Gannon-Doak, whose fitness and minutes will have to be carefully managed, is the only recognised wide attacker except for 19-year-old Findlay Curtis who spent the second half of the season on loan at Kilmarnock from Rangers. While a fit Gannon-Doak has the potential to be a difference maker, it is hard to understand why Clarke has only called up two wingers and didn’t look to other options, such as Oli Burke who had an impressive season for Union Berlin in the Bundesliga.
There is a mix of experience and freshness in Clarke’s squad. None of these players have played at a World Cup before – and many of them weren’t even born when Scotland took on Brazil, Morocco and Norway at France 1998 – but there is still a lot of international experience with 10 players who have 50 caps or more. On the other hand, there are also six players with fewer than 10 caps and five players aged 24 or under.
The captain
Scotland’s captain and figurehead is Liverpool left back Andrew Robertson. Dependable, well-spoken and passionate, he is part of a core of senior players, including McGinn, McTominay and Tierney, who have been a key part of the international set-up for many years now. Their experience both for Scotland and at a high level for their clubs will be key to helping the rest of the squad through the tournament.
The star
While McGinn has become a talismanic figure for Scotland, scoring 20 goals in 85 appearances, it is the 2024/25 Serie Player of the Year McTominay of Napoli who has emerged as the star of the show, especially after his bicycle kick against Denmark. The way he is adored by fans in Naples for helping deliver the title last season would be rivalled by the Tartan Army if he can help guide Scotland into the knockout rounds.
The wildcard
The most surprising call-up might be the late addition of Tyler Fletcher (link to piece on Gilmour replacement), but he is likely to see limited minutes given the options ahead of him in midfield. Fellow teenager Curtis, however, may well be given more of a chance to shine at the tournament given that Gannon-Doak is the only other natural winger in the squad.
Clarke often starts Christie and McGinn in the wide attacking positions of his more-recently favoured 4-2-3-1 but Curtis could provide a different option off the bench. He grabbed his chance against Curaçao, scoring not long after his introduction, and scored five goals in 14 games for Kilmarnock in the second half of the season.
Ones to watch
Arguably the key to Scotland’s chances of being competitive rests on the fitness of two players who have endured difficult seasons: Aaron Hickey and Ben Gannon-Doak. The latter is the one player in the squad who can truly make something happen out of nothing and who has the quality to be that spark at the highest level.
It was his turn of pace and cross that led to McTominay’s opener against Denmark and, although Scotland got the win in the end, the side notably suffered when he went off injured. Without Gannon-Doak, Scotland lack pace, invention and dynamism. That’s a lot of pressure on the shoulders of a young man who has made just 10 appearances for Bournemouth this season, but don’t expect that to faze the former Celtic and Liverpool youngster, who has the self-belief that all young wingers require.
Prediction
The most likely scenario for Scotland at the 2026 World Cup is picking up one win and two defeats from the group and then sweating on other results to see if that is enough to make them one of the 8 out of 12 third-place teams who will advance beyond the groups.
The most optimistic hope is that with everyone fit, the side can manage a historic display against Morocco in the second game to all but guarantee safe passage before taking on Brazil in the final group game.
