Scotland Squad Guide for FIFA World Cup 2026

Scotland Squad Guide

FIFA World Cup 2026

Scotland have reached the World Cup for the first time since 1998, ending the hurt of six unsuccessful qualifying campaigns.

They are no strangers to reaching major tournaments under head coach Steve Clarke, having previously reached the finals of Euro 2020 and 2024 during his tenure.

Scotland will now be hoping to reach the knockout stages of the World Cup for the very first time.

Meet the Scotland players Clarke has selected in his 26-man squad for this summer's tournament. All stats accurate as of 19 May.

Steve Clarke

Head Coach

Qualification for the 2026 World Cup means Steve Clarke has guided Scotland to three major tournaments out of a possible four since becoming head coach.

He became the first man to lead Scotland into back-to-back European Championships in 2024, although they are yet to win a group game under Clarke.

He is the first man to lead Scotland to a World Cup since Craig Brown in 1998.

Clarke was appointed in May 2019, a day after guiding Kilmarnock to a third-place finish in the Scottish Premiership.

He replaced Alex McLeish with Scotland fifth in their Euro 2020 qualifying group after two games. On taking the appointment, the former West Brom and Reading manager said he wanted to emulate the success of Scotland’s women’s team, who had qualified for the 2019 Women’s World Cup. That goal was duly realised with the play-off penalty shoot-out win against Serbia to qualify for a first European Championship since 1996.

He took over at Kilmarnock in 2017, steering them from second bottom to fifth place with a record points tally. Third place in 2019 delivered European football for the first time since 2001, while Clarke won the PFA and SFWA manager-of-the-year awards.

Goalkeepers

Angus Gunn

Club:Nottingham Forest Caps: 21

Born: 22.01.96 (age 30)

Gunn played all three games at Euro 2024 although his chances of doing so at a second major tournament may have been harmed by a lack of football since swapping Norwich City for the City Ground last summer. He’s played just 45 minutes for Forest, although his squad rivals have been similarly marginalised, with none of Scotland’s selected keepers currently first choice at club level.

Gunn represented England at under-16 to under-21 level but changed allegiance to Scotland in 2023, following in the footsteps of dad Bryan, who was capped six times.

A trial at Norwich at the age of eight began as an outfield player but he signed as a goalkeeper two months later. His first pro-contract came at Manchester City after joining as a 15-year-old but he didn’t make a first-team appearance before joining Southampton for £10m in 2018.

His only regular first-team football has been split across two spells at Norwich in the Championship. He did join the Canaries in the Premier League in 2021 but was largely second choice as they were relegated.

Craig Gordon

Club:Hearts Caps: 83

Born: 31.12.82 (age 43)

Gordon is selected for a major tournament for a second time although he is yet to make a finals appearance. At Euro 2020, Derby County’s David Marshall started every game. Gordon was then cut from the provisional 28-man squad ahead of Euro 2024.

He can become the second-oldest man to play at a World Cup, after Egypt’s Essam El Hadary (45).

A 41-year-old Gordon became Scotland’s oldest international footballer in June 2024, breaking David Weir’s record.

He returned to hometown club Hearts in 2020 but began this season as second choice to Alexander Schwolow. After playing in two World Cup qualifiers in November and three league games in January, he sustained a serious shoulder injury in February and failed to play again this season.

Gordon won five Scottish league titles, two Scottish Cups and five Scottish League Cups with Celtic, including an unbeaten domestic treble, between 2014 and 2020.

Liam Kelly

Club:Rangers Caps: 2

Born: 23.01.96 (age 30)

Another Scotland keeper, another struggling for game time at their club. Kelly effectively bumped Craig Gordon from the finals squad for Euro 2024 after both were called up to the provisional roster but he did not make an appearance. At the time, he was captain and first choice at Motherwell.

Since moving to Rangers in June 2024, he’s made just 16 appearances, failing to feature in the Scottish Premiership this season.

Kelly’s start against Ivory Coast in March was a first since a debut to forget against France in a friendly in October 2023, just two days after Scotland had qualified for Euro 2024. He conceded three goals before being withdrawn at half-time but still called it “the best moment of my life”.

Defenders

Andy Robertson (C)

Club:Liverpool Caps: 92

Born: 11.03.94 (age 32)

Immediately after qualification was secured against Denmark, Scotland’s captain said: “I've hid it well, but today I've been in bits. I know the age I'm at. This could be my last chance to go to the World Cup. I couldn't get my mate Diogo Jota out of my head today. We spoke so much about going to the World Cup because he missed the last one with Portugal and I did with Scotland. I know he'll be smiling over me today. It'll go down as one of the greatest nights of my life.”

Robertson is second only to Kenny Dalglish on Scotland’s record caps list, and he played virtually every minute of the past two European Championships, but he’s yet to be involved in a win.

Robertson will leave Liverpool this summer after nearly a decade. He’s played 377 games, scored 14 goals, provided 69 assists and created 565 chances for the Reds. He’s also won two Premier Leagues, two Champions Leagues, one FA Cup, two EFL Cups, a Super Cup and the Club World Cup.

Kieran Tierney

Club:Celtic Caps: 55

Born: 05.06.97 (age 28)

Tierney’s awful injury issues appear to be largely behind him – 29 league starts for Celtic this season are the most he’s made in nearly a decade since his first spell with the Glaswegian club.

The Hoops academy graduate left in a £25m move for Arsenal in 2019 but then missed 130 games over five seasons with the Gunners.

It’s also taken time for Tierney to regain sufficient fitness on the international stage. Assistant coach Steven Naismith said: “Watching him in training at the start of qualification, I'm thinking he's not the normal KT. There's no quick fix here."

But grind it out he did, ending qualification by scoring a stunning goal in the decisive win against Denmark. “He's had it tough," added Naismith. “The biggest memory I have of Kieran at the start of his international career is of him running on to the training pitch and blasting balls into the net, pure smashing it - and that's exactly what he did against Denmark."

Tierney made two starts at Euro 2020 and 2024 but a hamstring injury that ended his Euro 2024 campaign ruled him out for six months.

Nathan Patterson

Club:Everton Caps: 25

Born: 16.10.01

Patterson is selected despite making just three Premier League starts this season. Centre-back Jake O’Brien has been preferred at right-back at club level despite Patterson starting in wins over Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa away, and the draw with Leeds at home.

His Everton career has also been dogged by injury meaning he’s made just 29 top-flight starts in four-and-a-half seasons since joining from Rangers for £10m in January 2022.

He could yet start for Scotland this summer, with Anthony Ralston not first choice at Celtic and Aaron Hickey continuing to work his way back to fitness following a raft of injury problems.

He was selected for Euro 2020 but played just seven minutes. He missed Euro 2024 because of injury.

Patterson’s last competitive cap was in a European Championship qualifier against Norway in November 2023. He’s played in five friendlies since, most recently against Japan in March.

Aaron Hickey

Club:Brentford Caps: 19

Born: 10.06.02 (age 23)

The Brentford full-back, who can play on either flank, has continued to endure hamstring problems this season. He’s missed 108 matches since joining the Bees for £17m from Bologna in 2022, including the entirety of 2024-25. He’s only made eight Premier League starts this season.

Injuries mean this is Hickey’s first involvement in a major tournament but the Hearts academy graduate made five appearances in qualifying, starting ahead of Nathan Patterson and Anthony Ralston at right-back in the wins against Denmark and Greece, along with the loss away to Greece.

He described his first goal for Brentford against Aston Villa in the EFL Cup in September as a “moment to savour” following two years of “injury hell”, although hamstring problems resurfaced in February, resulting in another lengthy absence.

Grant Hanley

Club:Hibernian Caps: 66

Born: 20.11.91 (age 34)

Scotland’s veteran centre-back didn’t feature in March’s friendlies because of injury but he remained an important part of the qualification campaign, making four appearances, including 90 minutes in the crucial home wins against Greece and Denmark.

A Steve Clarke favourite, Hanley was recalled from three years in international football exile, starting all three games at Euro 2020, including excelling against Harry Kane in Scotland’s goalless draw at Wembley.

Hanley made three appearances at Euro 2024 despite missing much of the preceding campaign due to a serious Achilles injury. He won his first Scotland cap 15 years ago.

Jack Hendry

Club:Al-Ettifaq Caps: 37

Born: 07.05.95 (age 31)

Hendry began Scotland’s most recent major tournament as first choice in the heart of defence, playing every minute of Euro 2024 in a back three, but he’s won just three caps since.

A knee injury at the start of 2024-25 ruled him out for six months and he effectively lost his place in the Scotland team.

Hendry was fit for the qualifying campaign, but his solitary outing came against Belarus in October.

His career has spanned 12 teams and six nations, most recently moving to Saudi Arabia to join Steven Gerrard at Al Ettifaq in 2023. He’s also played in Scotland, England, Australia, Belgium and Italy.

Club honours include the 2018-19 domestic treble with Celtic and a top-flight title with Club Brugge.

John Souttar

Club:Rangers Caps: 22

Born: 25.09.96 (age 29)

Souttar made his Scotland debut eight years ago, but this is the first time he has been included in a major tournament squad. A move to Rangers after six seasons at Hearts has helped his international ambitions, playing regularly from the 2024 Nations League onwards.

He started in four World Cup qualifiers, and is likely to vie with Scott McKenna and veteran Grant Hanley for a starting place this summer.

This season has been disrupted by injury issues although he returned from six weeks out on the final day of the season.

Dundee United’s one-time youngest player after making his debut as a 16-year-old in January 2013, he started in midfield before moving into defence after joining Hearts three-years later.

His mum is from Australia and brother Kyle could play for the Socceroos this summer.

Scott McKenna

Club:Dinamo Zagreb Caps: 49

Born: 12.11.96 (age 29)

McKenna left Aberdeen to join Nottingham Forest in 2020 and although he missed just one league game during Forest’s successful promotion to the top flight, he struggled for game time in the Premier League.

A loan move in the second half of 2023-24 to FC Copenhagen was followed by a permanent move to Las Palmas but he activated a release clause following their relegation from La Liga to join Dinamo Zagreb ahead of this season.

He recovered from a thigh injury in time to help Dinamo complete a league and cup double against Rijeka in the Croatian Cup final.

He has played in seven domestic leagues and seven domestic cups, along with the Champions League and Europa League. He played four times across Euro 2020 and Euro 2024.

Dominic Hyam

Club:Wrexham Caps: 2

Born: 20.12.95 (age 30)

Hyam made his Scotland debut three-years ago but his second cap didn’t arrive until March of this year against Ivory Coast, after Wrexham’s ascent through the Football League. He joined the Welsh side for £2m from Blackburn last summer, missing just six games in all competitions.

Hyam also started every game of Wrexham’s run to the FA Cup fifth round, scoring his first goal for the club in the third round against Nottingham Forest, a tie Wrexham won on penalties.

He is a double-promotion winner with Coventry City and a former player of the season with both the Sky Blues and Blackburn. His senior career tallies over 400 games, including five Championship campaigns.

Anthony Ralston

Club:Celtic Caps: 25

Born: 16.11.98 (age 27)

The 27-year-old right-back is not first choice at Celtic and he is likely to provide cover for Aaron Hickey this summer, although the Brentford man’s injury record could yet influence Ralston’s role.

Ralston was not first choice at club level ahead of Euro 2024 either, yet he started every game in the absence of injured duo Hickey and Nathan Patterson. However, he made just one start in qualifying for this World Cup, in the 2-1 win against Belarus in October.

His Champions League debut as an 18-year-old in 2017 involved a bust-up with PSG’s Neymar. He laughed at Neymar when the Brazilian was booked for diving in Celtic’s 5-0 Parkhead loss, culminating in the world’s most expensive player snubbing a handshake at full-time.

Midfielders

Scott McTominay

Club:Napoli Caps: 69

Born: 08.12.96 (age 29)

McTominay’s overhead kick in the final qualifier against Denmark is a suitable symbol for how his career has skyrocketed since joining Napoli for £26m two-years ago. He won Serie A’s player-of-the-year award in his first season, scoring 12 goals as Napoli won the title.

His form has continued this season, scoring a further 14 goals and providing three assists.

An image of McTominay mid-air against Denmark has been painted on the gable end of a building next to Hampden.

He played every minute for Scotland in the past two Euros, scoring against Switzerland in 2024.

“The way he can cover the ground is elite,” says assistant coach Steven Naismith. “He can just glide across the pitch with elegance. It’s like in Super Mario where you get a mushroom and you're bigger."

The academy graduate previously made 255 appearances for Manchester United (29 goals, eight assists).

John McGinn

Club:Aston Villa Caps: 85

Born: 18.10.94 (age 31)

“I thought we were pretty rubbish, but who cares?" is how Scotland’s vice-captain describes reaching the World Cup by beating Denmark. “That hit from KT… I will never feel like that in a football stadium ever again."

The second-most capped player in this squad started every game at Euro 2020 and 2024, while he played every minute in qualifying for this tournament.

Fourteen goals in qualifying for major tournaments is a Scottish record, two ahead of Kenny Dalglish and Ally McCoist.

Ten goals this season, including a crucial brace in the Europa League semi-final second-leg win against Nottingham Forest, have res