Scotland faces Brazil again in Group C of the World Cup, having previously met the Seleção in the group stages of the 1974 and 1998 tournaments. The Scottish national team aims to make up for lost time after a long absence from the competition and finally break a negative streak by reaching the knockout stage for the first time in their history.
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The team coached by Steve Clarke arrives at the World Cup in poor form. After a disappointing performance in the last European Championship, where they finished last in Group A, the outlook is far from ideal. Besides clear technical limitations, some of their key players are not in top form, such as Andy Robertson, the 32-year-old captain and symbol of this generation, who has lost his place at Liverpool this season.
Despite a heroic qualifying victory over Denmark to secure their spot, Scotland has endured other poor campaigns under Clarke. Besides elimination in the 2022 World Cup qualifying playoffs, they finished bottom of their group at Euro 2024, were relegated to League B of the 2024/25 Nations League after losing to Greece in the playoffs, and recently suffered two defeats in friendlies against Japan and Ivory Coast.
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**Best World Cup Performance**
Scotland has never advanced past the group stage in any of its World Cup appearances. This is a record among all national teams with the same or more participations in the tournament.
**Fun Fact: Missing from the World Cup for 28 Years**
After consistent appearances between the 1970s and 1990s, the Tartan Army (as the team is nicknamed) has taken part in eight World Cups. However, they have not qualified since 1998, a 28-year gap. In that edition, Scotland failed to win a single match, losing to Brazil and Morocco and drawing with Norway. After nearly three decades, they return following an incredible 4-2 aggregate victory over Denmark in the European qualifiers.
**Key Player: Scott McTominay**
Much criticized at Manchester United, McTominay is thriving at Napoli in Italy. The 29-year-old midfielder was a standout in Napoli’s 2024/25 Serie A title win and is Scotland’s great hope for this World Cup. His importance stems from his ability to push into the opponent’s box, a role he has developed further in Naples, playing as a more advanced midfielder with freedom to attack the area and directly contribute goals. In the current European season, McTominay has scored nine goals and provided three assists in 30 matches.
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