World Cup 2026: Scotland can make knockouts and here's how you can back it at odds-against

Clarke has ushered in a relatively golden era

When Steve Clarke was named as Scotland manager in May 2019, he pledged to end the nation's long wait for tournament qualification. At that stage, the Tartan Army hadn't been at a World Cup since 1998, and they hadn't travelled to a European Championship since 1996.

Clarke has now delivered not one, not two, but three trips to major tournaments, including this summer's American adventure. He has managed more Scotland games than any boss before him, and the SFA have already extended his contract to cover the next two tournaments.

The next phase of Clarke's journey is surely now to take Scotland out of a group stage, something the nation has never achieved at either a World Cup or a European Championship. In some ways, Scotland's record is understandable given the size of the country, in others it is inconceivable when you consider this is the nation of Kenny Dalglish, of Denis Law, of Celtic's Lisbon Lions.

The good news for Scotland is that, at this 48 team World Cup where 32 teams make the knockout rounds, they are 4/111.36 to qualify from Group C.

When are Scotland's Group C Games?

Having not qualified since 1998, Scotland secured their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a dramatic 4-2 win against Denmark during the qualifiers. See below for the timings of their group fixtures:

Scotland have elite talent and strong supporting cast

One of the fascinations of sport in general and football in particular is how quickly fortunes can fluctuate. Scott McTominay is a case in point. At one stage he was surplus to requirements at Manchester United, a player who was so willing to help out in a range of positions that he had even been used as a centre-back by his country.

However, two years with Antonio Conte at Napoli have changed McTominay's career. He was named as the Serie A MVP in 2024/25 as his goals late in the season delivered the Scudetto to Naples, and in a winner-takes-all qualification clash against Denmark, the 29-year-old's jaw-dropping overhead kick helped secure a thrilling victory that those who were there at Hampden Park will talk about for the rest of their days.

McTominay has blossomed into one of the best box-crashing number eights in the European game, and he'll be captained this summer by left-back Andy Robertson, who has just left Anfield after winning everything there was to win. Robertson's move to Tottenham shows he still has plenty to offer, and he remains an emotional and inspirational leader.

John McGinn has just played a pivotal role in one of Aston Villa's greatest ever seasons, as the West Midlands giants lifted the Europa League and finished a heady fourth in the Premier League. His drive and infectious enthusiasm are big pluses.

Elsewhere in midfield, the loss of Billy Gilmour to injury is a significant blow, but Lewis Ferguson has had another strong season in Italy with Bologna. Ryan Christie has been outstanding for Bournemouth, helping them finish sixth in the Premier League.

Scotland have decent options in the goalkeeping department, with 43-year-old miracle man Craig Gordon battling with Nottingham Forest's Angus Gunn for the starting spot. Ben Gannon-Doak provides pace and unpredictability out wide, while Rangers youngster Findlay Curtis has also caught the eye.

Clarke has been experimenting with a 4-4-2 formation of late, and both Che Adams and Lawrence Shankland have come to the fore. New Rangers signing Shankland scored in a 4-1 success against Curacao, while Adams bagged a brace in a 4-0 win over Bolivia, a game that saw Shankland net an early opener.

Against Brazil, Clarke is unlikely to risk a two-striker solution, but it'll be a handy system to deploy against a far weaker Haiti side.

Scotland have landed in a really tough group

There has been lots of talk about how it's harder to get knocked out at a 48-team World Cup than it is to qualify, but it's worth remembering that only the top two from each group are guaranteed to progress, with the eight best third-placed teams also making it to the last 32.

Scotland's opener is against a Haiti side that impressed in qualification, and that recently thrashed New Zealand 4-0 in a friendly. Scotland are a significantly superior side, but they must deal with the pressure of being favourites, and anything less than a win against a pacy and energetic team will make qualification a lot tougher.

African champions Morocco, who lost the AFCON final on the field to Senegal but then had the tournament awarded to them, reached the semi-finals in Qatar four years ago. A recent coaching change has created question marks, but the North Africans have a superb goalkeeper in Yacine Bounou, a world-class right-back in Achraf Hakimi and a player in Brahim Diaz who has really come alive at international level.

Then there is the challenge of facing Brazil, a team that is still settling down but that is packed with talent. Five-time Champions League winner Carlo Ancelotti is seeking the right balance between attack and defence, and the fear for Scotland is that he may well have found it by the time the final round of group games begins.

Click here for an in-depth preview of Group C written by the Betfair Trading Team

Back McTominay to help Scotland to last 32

We can use the Sportsbook's Bet Builder to give ourselves a way of backing a Scotland qualification at odds-against, even though you can only get [4/11] as a single on them reaching the last 32.

We can back Scotland to score three goals in the group stage, and Scott McTominay to score at least once in the tournament, and that treble takes us to 21/202.05.

I believe Scotland can score at least a couple of goals in a victory against Haiti, and then they might only need a goal against either Morocco or Brazil to see the bet land. As for McTominay, he scored seven goals in qualifying and netted in the recent drubbing of Bolivia.

Now read Kev's Golden Boot preview here!