Steve Clarke has certainly got Scotland off to a great start in what has always looked like a tough challenge for his side as they look to end Scotland’s long 28 year wait to reach the World Cup Finals…
The Scots opened their qualifying campaign with by picking up a fantastic point on Copenhagen on Friday evening that had the Tartan Army asking how to get tickets for world cup 2026. That result actually looks even better after Denmark went to Athens last night and beat highly fancied Greece 3-0, a result that makes this intriguing group even more interesting.
It’s fair to say that Scotland started as third favourites in the World Cup qualifying Group C behind both Denmark and Greece, with Belarus there to make up the numbers, playing their home matches behind closed doors in the small Hungarian town of Zalaegerszeg, due to FIFA sanctions. Not that that stopped the Tartan Army turning up the support the team.
And that’s where Scotland found themselves last night for a second successive away match. Scotland’s 2-0 victory takes Steve Clarke’s team joint top with Denmark with just one further away match to come and three matches at Hampden where the Tartan Army will certainly be doing their best to roar Scotland all the way to the World Cup Finals.
Superb build-up play from the boys 👏 #BLRSCO pic.twitter.com/BdYm9ljafq
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) September 8, 2025
Next up for Scotland is an October double header at Hampden Park which gives Steve Clarke’s side a tremendous opportunity to make the dream become something tantalisingly close to reality. First up is the big one again a Greece side that will be reeling from that shock home defeat to Denmark last night. For Scotland this could be the pivotal match of the campaign and it takes place at Hampden on Thursday, 9 October before the Scots face Belarus three days later on Sunday, 12 October. Six points from those two matches would set Scotland up for a massive November as Group C reaches its conclusion.
Scotland’s penultimate match is away to Greece on Saturday, 15 November and the campaign ends with a home game against Denmark on Tuesday, 18 November. Scotland’s away form has been excellent recently but it’s at Hampden where things have been much more difficult losing to Greece and also to the likes of Northern Ireland and Iceland.
Steve Clarke must find a way to overcome Scotland’s home discomfort as the prize on offer is enormous. For players like the Scotland captain Andy Robertson, John McGinn, Scott McKenna and former Celt Ryan Christie this essentially will be their last chance to play at a World Cup finals. Indeed none of the Scotland squad are old enough to remember Scotland playing in their last World Cup finals, in France in 1998. For instance, 31 year old skipper Andy Robertson would have been in nursery school at the time.
So it’s been a long and painful wait for a Scotland side to reach another World Cup Final, we have one away game where our recent excellent record on the road can give us confidence plus three matches in Glasgow at the National Stadium where things have to turn around for Steve Clarke’s side. Do that and Scotland at long last can be heading to the World Cup Finals next June.
Tickets for all three home matches are still available here.
