World Cup 2026 · Group CScotlandFixtures, Odds & Squad

The most important player in this squad is Scott McTominay. The Napoli midfielder operates as an advanced No. 10 in Steve Clarke's 4-2-3-1, offering defensive engine-room presence and genuine attacking threat — he scored against Bolivia in the June 6 warmup and is the creative hub around which Scotland's best football is organized. His capacity to drop into the double pivot or drive forward into the box makes him difficult to pin to a single role, and Clarke's system depends heavily on him.

Andy Robertson, the Liverpool captain, remains the squad's most decorated club player. His delivery from the left flank was a consistent source of danger in pre-tournament preparation, including an assist for Lawrence Shankland's opener against Bolivia, and he is one of the few players in this group whose quality is consistently tested at the highest European club level.

Shankland himself arrives as PFA Scotland Player of the Year after 20 club goals for Rangers. He scored in both pre-tournament friendlies — the 4-1 win over Curaçao on May 30 and the 4-0 win over Bolivia on June 6 — and is pressing for a starting role. Clarke has historically shown reluctance to deploy him as the undisputed first-choice striker, a selection question that remains unresolved.

Clarke shifted Scotland to a 4-2-3-1 following Euro 2024, abandoning the back-five system he had previously relied upon. The double pivot — typically Lewis Ferguson alongside John McGinn or Kenny McLean — protects the defensive line while McTominay operates with freedom ahead of them. Ben Doak and Ryan Christie provide width on either side. The return of Kieran Tierney to fitness reintroduces a dilemma: Clarke could revert to a back-five to accommodate both Tierney and Robertson on the same pitch, a system that has historically been more defensively stable but limits attacking output. The centre-back partnership remains unsettled — Clarke has rotated pairings regularly in preparation — and the goalkeeping position between Craig Gordon (43, reportedly carrying a lengthy period without competitive football) and Angus Gunn has not been publicly confirmed.

Group C presents a clear hierarchy. Brazil and Morocco are the heavy favourites to advance as the top two, and Scotland would be genuinely fortunate to beat either. The path to the knockout round runs primarily through Group C's fourth side, Haiti, a match Scotland would expect to win, and potentially through accumulating enough points to qualify as one of the eight best third-placed finishers — the expanded tournament format's most accessible secondary route.

Three points from the Haiti game is the minimum outcome Scotland need. A draw against Morocco or Brazil would be a significant overperformance and would dramatically reshape their chances. The Gilmour absence places additional pressure on the McGinn-Ferguson pivot in terms of managing the ball in tight spaces against physically superior opponents.