Scotland open campaign against Denmark
Scotland begin their World Cup 2026 qualification journey with a tough away fixture against Denmark on Friday evening in Copenhagen. Manager Steve Clarke believes his players “deserve” to reach the finals, having taken the national team to back-to-back European Championships.
Clarke stressed that the achievement would not be about him, but about the players and the fans who have supported the side during his six years in charge. Scotland have not reached a World Cup since 1998, and Clarke admitted that while deserving is one thing, qualification requires “working very, very hard”.
The Scots will also face Belarus in Hungary on Monday before playing a home double-header against Belarus and Greece later this autumn, with all matches to be broadcast live on the BBC.
England boss Tuchel calls for more energy
Meanwhile, England head coach Thomas Tuchel has called for greater intensity and enthusiasm from his squad as they continue their qualifying campaign. After mixed performances in recent fixtures, Tuchel emphasised that playing with more passion is essential if England are to dominate their group.
Scotland’s long wait for a World Cup
Scotland’s absence from the World Cup stretches back to France 1998. Since then, 61 different nations have qualified for finals tournaments, with 25 of those emerging from European qualifying. Nations such as Slovenia, Iceland and Bosnia and Herzegovina have all managed appearances, while Scotland remain on the outside.
Fans remain divided: some argue that failing to qualify for over two decades is an embarrassment, while others point to the depth of European competition and highlight that Scotland are competing against some of the strongest footballing nations in the world.
Clarke and his squad will now look to silence critics by making a strong start against Denmark, a side that has reached the knockout stages of recent major tournaments.
