What promises to be a big 2025 for the national team draws one step nearer on Friday, as Scotland discover their opponents for next year’s FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.
Scotland are in pot three in the draw, which will take place at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich at 11am (UK time) and will see 12 groups drawn of either four or five teams.
In total, 16 UEFA nations will qualify for the 48-team tournament finals, which will take place in USA, Canada and Mexico.
The 12 group winners will qualify automatically while the four remaining berths will be determined by play-offs involving the 12 group runners-up.
The runners-up will be joined in the play-offs by the the four best-ranked group winners of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League that did not finish their European Qualifiers group stage in first or second place.
The draw will be available to watch live on FIFA’s website and FIFA+.
Teams drawn in groups of five will begin qualifying in March and teams drawn in groups of four start their campaigns in September, with all group matches concluding in November 2025. Scotland’s campaign will begin in June or September, with Scotland set to face Greece in a two-legged UEFA Nations League A/B play-off in the March international window.
SSC memberships are currently open for renewal to existing members, before going on sale to the general public on Monday, 3 February 2025.
The 16 teams who enter the play-offs will be drawn into four play-off paths, with four teams in each. Play-off matches will be played in single-leg semi-finals followed by single-leg finals within the same international window in March 2026.
Steve Clarke’s side enjoyed a strong end to 2024, drawing one and winning two of their last three matches in the top tier of the UEFA Nations League to not only secure a play-off spot to remain in the top tier of the competition but also build vital momentum going into next year’s qualifiers.
Pot 1
France, Spain, England, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Croatia, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria
Pot 2
Ukraine, Sweden, Türkiye, Wales, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Romania, Greece, Slovakia, Czechia, Norway
Pot 3
Scotland, Slovenia, Republic of Ireland, Albania, North Macedonia, Georgia, Finland, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel
Pot 4
Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Belarus, Kosovo, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Lithuania
Pot 5
Moldova, Malta, Andorra, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, San Marino
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