Scotland Preview: Tartan Army marches with allies aplenty

The next entry in our series of individual World Cup team previews: Scotland. The Scots play two group-stage games up in Boston, but before that, they have a final pre-tournament friendly at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey this weekend. This post, like all of our World Cup team previews, are free for all to read, but we'd greatly appreciate if you contributed to our site's sustainability by becoming a paid subscriber, or by making a one-time donation.

Scotland is in the World Cup for the first time this century. One of two teams to play in the first-ever official international match (0-0 draw vs England on November 30, 1872), Scotland is riding on hope but also some realism.

After confirming a World Cup spot on the final day of UEFA qualifying at Hampden Park in Glasgow in a dramatic 4-2 win over favorites Denmark last November, things have slowly come back to normalcy.

Scotland lost two friendlies, both by 1-0 score lines, in March against fellow World Cup qualifiers Japan and Ivory Coast. Even the team's most recent win on May 30, a 4-1 result over tournament debutants Curaçao on May 30, came at the expense of an injury to midfielder Billy Gilmour.

All that said, there's still some hope. Mostly because the World Cup is, in true American form, super-sized. In a group with Brazil (a favorite), Morocco (2022 semifinalist), and Haiti (just happy to be there), Scotland occupy the dangerous spot of "it's possible."

It's possible Scotland can get a result against Haiti and a point versus someone else to finish third in the group, at worst. Considering the best half of the third place teams will qualify for the knockout rounds, something Scotland has never reached at a World Cup, there's something to latch onto.

The team has one more chance to prepare for the tournament and it will be played locally. Scotland will face Bolivia at Sports Illustrated Stadium on Saturday, June 6 at 4:00 pm ET.

Pre-tournament vibe check

In a summer where the New York Knicks returned to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, Scotland upped the bar by making a return to the World Cup for the first time since 1998 (28 years ago). If you remember Ireland at the 2016 Euros, this is that, times 100, at least from the fan perspective.

According to TicketData, the cheapest tickets for Scotland’s three games in Boston and Miami are going for an average of nearly $1,000 on the resale market. Per data through last Monday, that is one of the top 10 priciest tickets among the World Cup’s 48 teams.

There's an also a certain panic right now as more roster concerns come up. Steve Clarke's squad is shaky at times. It’s not a "Group of Death," but advancing out of Group C will be challenge, especially if the team fails to open the tournament with three points against Haiti.

I'm not saying people don't care about the roster, but with Scotland, there are vibes that go deeper. In the shadow of New York City, across the Hudson River in Kearny, New Jersey, a large contingent of Scottish pride is already thriving.

A town known as Soccertown, USA, whose Kearny Scots were one of America's first super teams and whose high school field welcomed professional sides such as Celtic and Manchester United for pre-season friendlies in the mid-20th century, is ready for Scotland.

The demographics of Kearny are now very different from those long-gone days. But there are four-plus buses packed for Saturday's friendly, bagpipe performances being organized to occur on the field at Sports Illustrated Stadium, and lots of people still trying to get to Boston for the two group stage games. This is a party.

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Who to watch

It's hard to argue against Scott McTominay. Since joining Italian club SSC Napoli in 2024, the midfielder has scored 27 goals across all competitions. In the nine seasons he spent with Manchester United in England, he scored 29 all together. That sort of production is what earned him 2024-25 Serie A player of the year.

He scored an iconic bicycle kick goal in the 4-2 win over Denmark to help get the team into the tournament. That’s in addition to his crucial 84th-minute match-winner over Belarus earlier in qualifying.

Outside of the attack, captain Andy Robertson is still going to be called upon greatly. Despite big changes at the club level as he leaves Liverpool FC to join Tottenham Hotspur, he's still a huge linchpin for his national team.

So much so he's 10 caps away from the all-time cap record held by Kenny Dalglish. It'll be interesting to see who lines up with him. Steve Clarke picked five experienced natural center-backs for his roster: Grant Hanley (Hibernian), Scott McKenna (Dinamo Zagreb), Jack Hendry (Al Ettifaq), John Souttar (Rangers) and Dominic Hyam (Wrexham). Throw one of them next to recent Scottish league champion center-back, Kieran Tierney, and you might have a solid defensive unit.

X-factors

Age is catching up to Scotland. The average age of the team is 29.2 years old, making it one of the most experienced, and oldest, squads. By position groups, they average in age:

• Defenders: 29.3 years
• Midfielders: 28.8 years
• Attackers: 27.0 years

If players like Aston Villa's John McGinn and McTominay struggle to score, it's hard to see goals coming from anyone else.

There's also the issue of goalkeeping. The three-man GK union features two young players who can't get regular club minutes (Liam Kelly and Angus Gunn) and 43-year-old Craig Gordon, the oldest player called up for the World Cup, and someone who only played three games this season with Hearts. That goalkeeper uncertainty is part of the reason why consistency has been a issue.

That said, one positive X-factor could be midfielder Lewis Ferguson. The Bologna captain plays a more creative role with the club than with the national team. However, if he is willing to defend on a full field, that's a sacrifice that could allow for more attacking options up top.

The full 26-player roster

Goalkeepers: Craig Gordon (Hearts), Angus Gunn (Nottingham Forest), Liam Kelly (Rangers)

Defenders: Grant Hanley (Hibernian), Jack Hendry (Al Etiffaq), Aaron Hickey (Brentford), Dom Hyam (Wrexham), Scott McKenna (Dinamo Zagreb), Nathan Patterson (Everton), Anthony Ralston (Celtic), Andy Robertson (Liverpool), John Souttar (Rangers), Kieran Tierney (Celtic)

Midfielders: Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Finlay Curtis (Kilmarnock), Lewis Ferguson (Bologna), Ben Gannon-Doak (Bournemouth), Tyler Fletcher (Manchester United), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Kenny McLean (Norwich), Scott McTominay (Napoli)

Forwards: Ché Adams (Torino), Lyndon Dykes (Charlton Athletic), George Hirst (Ipswich), Lawrence Shankland (Hearts), Ross Stewart (Southampton)

Originally, Napoli midfielder Billy Gilmour was seemingly locked into the squad. However a knee injury last week in a friendly vs Curaçao forced Manchester United midfielder Tyler Fletcher in to replace him.

Our predicted Starting XI