Scotland have been drawn into Group C for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The draw took place in Zurich this morning, with Scotland drawn into a four-team group alongside Greece, Belarus and the defeated side in the UEFA Nations League Quarter-Final between Portugal and Denmark.
As Scotland are in a four-team group, the qualifiers will begin in September, with all group matches concluding in November 2025.
The fixture and ticket information will follow in due course.
Scotland Men’s National Team Head Coach Steve Clarke: “I always just take the draw as it comes and I’m not one to overthink it but there’s lot of interesting matches. We know the Pot 1 game is going to be difficult but I think we’ve shown over the past few games that we can handle teams at that level. Looking at Denmark, that victory at Hampden in 2021 was a memorable night. We lost in Denmark and we then won by the same scoreline so we know what to expect from them.
“Obviously we played Portugal recently in the Nations League matches. We did well to get a point off them at Hampden and we played well over there.
“We will now play Greece four times in 2025 so we’ll get to know them very well and the March games now take on a slightly different meaning, with both teams having a close look at each other ahead of the World Cup qualifiers.
“It’s funny how it happens that you don’t play a team for so long, then you end up playing them a number of times. It’s just one of the quirks of the draw. We know they will be good games. Greece went to Wembley and won – not many teams do that. We respect them a lot but we look forward to the games.
“Belarus is a team we’re not quite as familiar with but by the time we play them they will be a team we make sure we know everything about. For me it’s about getting to know their players, getting to know their tactics and hopefully we can take the points that we require.
“When I spoke after the tournament in the summer, I said that one of my main remaining ambitions is to go to a World Cup with my country. These qualifying games give me an opportunity to do that and I’m going to give it everything I’ve got and I’m sure my players will do the same.
“We’ve played teams at the highest level recently and we’ve seen that we have to be right at the top of our game to get points from them. It was a difficult year but we finished it well. We showed that we can compete against the top teams and that’s what we will have to do if we want to get to the World Cup
“The fact we have already seen so many supporters renewing their memberships, it shows that the supporters buy-in to this team and what we’re trying to achieve.
“The players are desperate to do well for their country and I think the supporters appreciate that. We want the supporters to be involved as much as possible because we saw in Germany that when the Tartan Army are in full voice, they are a force to be reckoned with.
“1998 was a long time ago and when it comes to World Cups, there’s no extra motivation required. The squad is full of players who want to go to the World Cup so now is the time to do it.”
Loser of Portugal/Denmark in Uefa Nation’s League Quarter-Final
Greece
Scotland
Belarus
Denmark or Portugal v Scotland – Friday, 5 September, 7.45pm
Belarus v Scotland – Monday, 8 September, 7.45pm
Scotland v Greece – Thursday, 9 October, 7.45pm
Scotland v Belarus – Sunday, 12 October, 5pm
Greece v Scotland – Saturday, 15 November, 7.45pm
Scotland v Denmark or Portugal – Tuesday, 18 November, 7.45pm
Scotland have recent history against both potential opponents, Portugal and Denmark, having faced them in the past three years in competitive matches.
Scott McTominay scored a brilliant opener against Portugal in Lisbon in the UEFA Nations League in September, before Scotland eventually succumbed to a 2-1 defeat. The two sides then battled to a competitive 0-0 draw in the return fixture at Hampden Park.
Denmark were Scotland’s opponents in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with Scotland suffering a 2-0 defeat in Copenhagen before reversing the scores in Glasgow. John Souttar and Che Adams were on target on a memorable night at Hampden Park.
Remarkably, Scotland have only played Greece twice in history, with both matches coming in qualifying for the 1996 European Championships. After falling to a 1-0 defeat away from home, Craig Brown’s Scotland won 1-0 at home, with Ally McCoist scoring the only goal of the game. Greece are also Scotland’s opponents in a two-legged UEFA Nations League A/B play-off in March.
Scotland first faced Belarus in qualifying for the 1998 World Cup and a Gary McAllister penalty face the Scots a 1-0 win over in Minsk. The return fixture was much more comfortable, with David Hopkin and Kevin Gallacher scoring two goals apiece in a 4-1 victory. Scotland have left fond memories of Belarus from 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying, with a 0-0 draw and a 1-0 reversal proving damaging to Scotland’s campaign.
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