For the first time in 26 years, Scotland's men's national team will be part of the World Cup draw, securing their place at the 2026 tournament after a spectacular victory over Denmark at Hampden Park.
The memorable night saw goals from Scott McTominay, Kieran Tierney, and Kenny McLean, sending the Tartan Army to North America next summer. Under manager Steve Clarke, the team has now broken their major tournament qualification hoodoo, having reached the last two European Championships but failing to win a game or progress from the group stage on either occasion.
Scotland's Draw Position and Key Rules
It has been confirmed that Scotland will be in Pot 3 for the World Cup draw, which takes place on Friday, December 5. The draw will be held at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC at 5pm GMT, with US President Donald Trump expected to attend.
With 48 teams competing, the nations will be divided into 12 groups of four. A key rule for Scotland is that they will be unable to play more than one other European nation in their group, except in the four groups that will contain two European teams to accommodate the 16 UEFA qualifiers.
Potential Opponents for the Tartan Army
Scotland's group will be formed by drawing one team from each pot. Here is a breakdown of their potential opponents:
One from Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany.
One from Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, IR Iran, Korea Republic, Ecuador, Austria, Australia.
One from Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, European Play-Off A, B, C and D, FIFA Play-Off Tournament 1 and 2.
This setup opens the door for a potential England vs Scotland clash. However, if England were to draw one of the European teams from Pot 2—Croatia, Switzerland, or Austria—then a match-up with Scotland from Pot 3 would be ruled out.
Dream and Nightmare Scenarios
What would constitute a tough group for Scotland? Drawing a world football powerhouse like Argentina from Pot 1, followed by a strong African side like Morocco or Senegal from Pot 2, and then a dangerous European play-off team such as Italy or Sweden from Pot 4 would be a formidable challenge.
Conversely, a more favourable draw could see Scotland pitted against co-hosts Canada or the United States from Pot 1. Pairing that with Austria or Australia from Pot 2 and a team like Cape Verde or New Zealand from Pot 4 would give Steve Clarke and his squad a highly promising chance to make history.
The entire nation now waits with bated breath for the December draw, hoping this is the moment Scotland finally advance from the group stage of a major tournament for the first time.
