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Joe Wright
Scotland learn their group opponents for 2026 World Cup qualifying on December 13 as the draw for the UEFA section is held in Zurich.
Steve Clarke’s team enjoyed a rousing end to their recent UEFA Nations League league phase, holding Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal to a draw before defeating Croatia and Poland in dramatic fashion.
Those results ensured they escaped automatic relegation from Group A1 and instead saw them entered into next March's playoff round.
Those results came as huge relief, both for Clarke and the Tartan Army.
After a run of just one win in 16 matches — a 2-0 victory over Gibraltar — stretching back to September 2023, it had seemed as though the 61-year-old coach could be destined for the exit.
Now, there is a renewed sense of belief as Scotland attempt to qualify for the expanded World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico — a tournament in which they have not featured since 1998.
The Sporting News looks at their schedule for this qualifying phase.
MORE: UEFA World Cup qualifying groups in full | How the UEFA section works
Scotland will learn their fate in the draw when it takes place on December 13.
They were placed in Pot 3, which means they can expect to face at least two higher-ranked sides in their qualifying group, making their quest to progress a challenging one.
The Sporting News will update this page once the draw has been concluded.
The UEFA World Cup qualifying section starts in March 2025 and runs until November. However, Scotland will not play their initial games in that March international break as that is when they will contest their Nations League relegation tie against Greece.
That means their World Cup qualifying campaign in the June 2-10 window. They will then play in the three autumn international breaks — September 1-9, October 6-14, and November 10-18 — and, if necessary, they will contest a qualifying playoff in March 2026.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins on June 11, 2026 and runs through to July 19, 2026.
The opening game will see co-hosts Mexico face as-yet-unconfirmed opposition at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
Fellow host nations Canada and the United States play their opening matches the following day: Canada’s fixture will be at BMO Field in Toronto, while the USMNT’s first game will be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Joe Wright is a Senior Editor at Sporting News, managing global soccer and the UK team. He was previously a sub editor and writer for Goal.com before spending six years as part of the Stats Perform editorial news service, covering major global sports including football, tennis, boxing, NBA, rugby union and athletics. Joe has extensive experience covering some of the biggest events in football, including two UEFA Champions League finals, Euro 2016, the Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 World Cup, which included the final in Moscow.
