Scotland’s World Cup journey begins after a 4-1 victory over Curaçao at Hampden Park, a result that sent Steve Clarke’s side off to North America with momentum for the first tournament appearance in 28 years.
World Cup 2026 Context
This summer’s tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, marks the first edition of an expanded 48-team format, with a record 104 matches to be played across the three nations. Scotland, who qualified by finishing top of UEFA Group C – sealed with a 4-2 win over Denmark in November 2025 – have been drawn in Group C alongside Brazil, Morocco and Haiti. The top two teams in each group, and potentially the best third-placed sides, will advance to the round of 32.
Warm-up and Group Stage Schedule
Before the tournament proper begins, Scotland will play a warm-up fixture against Bolivia on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. The 4:00 PM local time (9:00 PM BST) kick-off will be held at the 25,000-seater soccer-specific ground, home to the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer and Gotham FC of the National Women’s Soccer League. Originally opened in March 2010 as Red Bull Arena, the stadium was renamed in December 2024 under a naming-rights deal with Sports Illustrated Tickets. It features a transparent partial roof covering all seating, with front-row seats just 21 feet from the touchlines, and has previously hosted matches involving Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United and Juventus, as well as U.S. national teams.
Scotland’s group-stage campaign begins on June 13 against Haiti at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts – considered the weakest side in the group. They then face Morocco on June 19 at Boston Stadium, before a final group match against Brazil on June 24 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
Scotland’s World Cup History and Ambitions
This will be Scotland’s first appearance at a World Cup since 1998, when Craig Brown’s squad – featuring players such as Jim Leighton, Colin Hendry, John Collins and Paul Lambert – were eliminated in the group stage. That remains the furthest Scotland have ever progressed at a finals, and the current generation are aiming to write history by advancing beyond the group for the first time. There is a notable echo of 1998 in this year’s draw: Scotland were also grouped with Brazil and Morocco 28 years ago, although Haiti replaces Norway as the third opponent.
Clarke’s preparations have been disrupted by an injury to midfielder Billy Gilmour, who suffered a knee problem during the Curaçao warm-up and has been ruled out of the World Cup. Tyler Fletcher has been called up as his replacement. The full 26-man squad named for the tournament includes goalkeepers Craig Gordon, Angus Gunn and Liam Kelly; defenders Grant Hanley, Jack Hendry, Aaron Hickey, Dom Hyam, Scott McKenna, Nathan Patterson, Anthony Ralston, Andy Robertson, John Souttar and Kieran Tierney; midfielders Ryan Christie, Findlay Curtis, Lewis Ferguson, Ben Gannon-Doak, Tyler Fletcher, John McGinn, Kenny McLean and Scott McTominay; and forwards Che Adams, Lyndon Dykes, George Hirst, Lawrence Shankland and Ross Stewart. Shankland, who scored twice in the Curaçao win, will be one of the key attacking threats.
For fans in the UK, the Bolivia warm-up match will be shown live and free-to-air on BBC Two, with coverage beginning at 8:30 PM BST ahead of the 9:00 PM kick-off. Streaming is available on BBC iPlayer with a valid TV licence. The BBC and ITV are sharing coverage of the tournament itself, with matches also appearing on BBC One, BBC Three, ITV1, ITV4 and their respective digital platforms, including 4K HDR coverage for selected matches and additional content such as VR experiences for England and Scotland games.
Bolivia, who reached the World Cup via the play-offs, will provide a final test before Scotland embark on a group stage that carries the weight of two decades of waiting.
