Scotland's World Cup 2026 qualification hopes hinge on a final Group C match against Brazil, and an EA Sports FC 26 simulation predicts a tense 2-1 defeat for Steve Clarke's men. Aston Villa's John McGinn and Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Angus Gunn delivered heroic performances in the virtual encounter, but a late Che Adams goal was not enough to secure a result.
Simulation Details
In the simulation run by the Daily Record using EA FC 26's The World's Game mode, Clarke adopted a 4-4-1-1 formation. The starting XI featured Angus Gunn in goal, Aaron Hickey (making a miraculous injury comeback despite being ruled out in real life), Grant Hanley, Jack Hendry, and Andy Robertson in defence. The midfield comprised Ben Gannon-Doak, Lewis Ferguson, Ryan Christie, and John McGinn, with Scott McTominay supporting lone striker Che Adams.
Brazil took the lead after just five minutes through Luiz Henrique, who capitalised on nimble passing to beat Gunn. Scotland responded with several chances: Adams forced a full-stretch save from Alisson on nine minutes, Ferguson fired a free-kick over the bar on 16 minutes after a Casemiro foul on McTominay (earning the Brazilian a yellow card), and Christie narrowly missed from distance on 25 minutes. Ferguson also lashed a half-volley wide from inside the box on 38 minutes. At half-time, Scotland trailed 1-0 despite creating three times as many goalscoring opportunities as Brazil, who held 61% possession.
Second Half Drama
Clarke introduced Lawrence Shankland for Ferguson and Kieran Tierney for Gannon-Doak early in the second half, switching to a diamond midfield. However, Brazil dominated thereafter, with Gunn denying Vinicius Jr twice—first from inside the box on 68 minutes, then from close range five minutes later. McGinn then produced a spectacular goal-line clearance to prevent Marquinhos from heading into the top-right corner. Despite these heroics, Vinicius Jr doubled Brazil's lead on 70 minutes after an excellent move.
Scotland pulled one back late on when Adams finished sublimely after a one-two with Shankland, drilling low into the far corner. However, time ran out, and the simulation ended 2-1 to Brazil. According to the simulation, Scotland would finish third in Group C with a -1 goal difference. Opta data across 100,000 simulations indicates that third-placed sides on three points progress to the Second Round 66.77% of the time.
