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Scotland national team urged to create history at World Cup
After 28 years in the wilderness, Scotland returns to the world stage with a group featuring Brazil, Morocco, and Haiti
Scotland is going back to the World Cup. The men’s national team qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a 4-2 victory over Denmark on November 19, 2025, ending a drought that stretches all the way back to 1998.
The long road back
Scotland’s last World Cup appearance came in France 1998, where they were eliminated in the group stage. Before that, they’d made eight total appearances in the tournament, with their most notable campaign coming in 1978.
South Lanarkshire Council approved an extra public holiday on June 15, 2026, the day after Scotland’s opening match.
What awaits in Group C
Scotland’s opening Group C fixture is set for June 14, 2026, against Haiti. The other two opponents are Morocco and Brazil. Morocco reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, becoming the first African nation to achieve that feat.
Lanarkshire’s role in the story
Former coaches from clubs like East Kilbride FC have contributed to the team’s preparations. South Lanarkshire’s decision to grant a public holiday on June 15, 2026 underscores what this World Cup return means at the community level.