It has been 28 summers since Scotland’s national football team last graced the World Cup finals. Twenty-eight long hot summers.
But that drought will be broken at 2am Sunday morning when The Blues kick-off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against Haiti in qualifying Group C at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, aka Boston Stadium – and home of the most successful American Football team in history, the New England Patriots.
Perhaps some of that Patriot magic can rub-off on Scotland as they seek to get their campaign against their fellow outsiders off to a winning start.
The last time the Scots played in a World Cup, in France 1998, they almost beat legendary Brazil in their opening game.
But despite having had a plethora of outstanding players, they’ve never qualified for the later, knock-out phases of the World Cup.
This year there’s no doubt that Planet Football’s premier competition is all the better with Scotland in it.
Tartan Army
The fabled Tartan Army, arguably the most loyal and vocal fans in the world, have travelled en masse to North America, settling in Boston for the first two group games before making their way south to Miami.
Having not won a World Cup match since Italia 90, the 26-strong team, led by coach Steve Clarke, is hoping to make history by qualifying for the later stages and progress as far as possible.
For bookmakers, Scotland has been difficult to define.
Priced at 250/1 to win the competition, it’s highly unlikely they will go all the way.
But betting interest has grown significantly in the country, with odds available ranging from qualifying for the last 32 to reaching the quarter-finals.
The World Cup has become a major revenue driver for the betting industry and Scotland’s participation will only amplify that across the UK market.
Scotland’s World Cup Odds and Betting Handle
As mentioned, While Scotland’s odds for winning the World Cup currently sit at 250/1, plenty of value can be found in other markets.
For example, Scotland to reach the knockout stages is priced at 5/2. But with Brazil and Africa champions Morocco in Group C, it remains a very tough challenge.
Not surprisingly, ex-Manchester United attacking midfielder Scott McTominay, now of top Italian side Napoli–and scorer of that stunning overhead kick in the 4-2 victory over Denmark which sealed qualification–is now 11/4 to be Scotland’s top scorer at the World Cup.
That sounds like a solid bet, considering the Neapolitan hero has scored 14 goals for his country.
But can McTominay light-up North America and can Scotland win their group? Odds of 12/1 suggest not.
Nevertheless The Tartan Army effect generates a genuine buzz and there’s been plenty of sportsbook action in the lead up to the Haiti opener.
World Cup Boost
Scotland’s qualification success story was about more than just football. It was also about money.
In 2019, a £27 million turnover at the Scottish Football Association (SFA) was recorded. Last year, that figure more than trebled to £80 million, a staggering figure.
That is all down to qualifying for major tournaments.
Clarke has led Scotland into two European Championships and now the World Cup in the last seven-years.
Scotland will earn around £9.3 million more from FIFA this summer – and that is even before the knockout stages. Prize money will continue to rise, the further Scotland progress in the tournament.
Add in commercial revenue from official partners and sponsors, including Adidas, Scottish Gas, Tennent’s and McDonald’s, among others, and one can see that SFA have worked hard to bring in many iconic brands to the Scotland success story.
The financial aspect of qualifying for major tournaments on a regular basis is massive, with sponsors, the SFA and the sports betting ecosystem all benefitting.
Key Men
Clarke tends to reward loyalty and many of his 26-man squad have been part of the team for years.
McTominay is the undisputable talisman, carrying with him a weight of expectation not seen for years in a Scotland jersey.
The 29-year-old scored against Switzerland at the last major tournament Scotland qualified for, Euros 24, and with the opening match against unfancied Haiti, many expect him to spur Clarke’s men to a crucial win.
Striker Lawrence Shankland scored twice against Curacao in a friendly match last week to aid his cause for a starting berth in the first game of the tournament.
One thing Scotland have always lacked at the major finals they have qualified for is goals. At Euro 2020 and 2024, for example, Clarke’s side mustered just three goals across six matches. But in Shankland, newly-signed by Glasgow Rangers, from Heart-of-Midlothian, the nation has a player ready to extend his fine club form into a World Cup.
Attacking Talent
The essence of youthful attacking options could also aid Clarke.
Ben Gannon-Doak, of the EPL’s Bournemouth, and Findlay Curtis, also of Rangers but currently on loan to Kilmarnock, are aged just 21- and 19-years-old, respectively.
But could the youngsters be unleashed from the start against the Caribbean nation to terrorise their defence with their undoubted pace and verve?
This will be Scotland’s ninth World Cup. Never before have they made it out of the group, a statistics that hangs over the country like a dark cloud.
Things feel different this time. Is it destiny? Only time will tell.
