Scotland World Cup 2026 squad: Who will feature in Steve Clarke’s 26-man squad for North America? | football news

The wait is almost over. Steve Clarke reveals his Scotland squad for the World Cup not only for the fans but also for the players.

At 11am on Tuesday the national team boss will name his 26-man group that will take on Curacao and Bolivia in the final warm-up matches before it all kicks off in Boston. Yes, the World Cup.

Scotland – back on football’s biggest stage for the first time since 1998 – open their campaign against Haiti on June 14.

We know to expect some loyalty from Clarke, so the core group who helped end the wait to reach the World Cup will be confident of a place on the plane. However, there are others, and by Clark’s own admission, there is room for “an outsider.”

“Should he stay or should he go?” That was the phrase used by the head coach when addressing his own future a few months ago. It’s also worth checking out who’s going to North America and who can be left at home…

Goalkeeper trouble

Who to pick as his No. 1 is not a new dilemma for Clarke.

Injuries and a lack of game time at club level have meant six players have dropped the gloves since the Euros – and the top two on that list are not playing for their clubs.

Angus Gunn started all three group games at Euro 2024 and was again in the sticks at the start of the subsequent Nations League campaign. An injury saw him sidelined, but he returned at the start of the World Cup qualifiers. However, another injury meant he didn’t finish that campaign either.

While he may appear to be the number one, after starring in March’s friendly against Japan, he has only seen 45 minutes of action at Nottingham Forest this season.

Clarke’s problem is that the man he often returns to is the absence of songs he struggles to play in his own club.

Craig Gordon, 43, stepped in for the remaining Nations League fixtures and during the World Cup qualifiers – but missed the final camp due to injury. Shoulder problems and the impressive form of Hearts’ No.1 Alexander Sholo limited Gordon to just three league appearances in the campaign.

Scott Bain, who left Celtic for Falkirk last summer to increase his playing time, is the only substitute who has played regularly for his club and was rewarded with his first Scotland appearance in seven years against Ivory Coast in March. Bairns has missed the last five league games with an ankle injury but will be fit in time for the World Cup.

The 34-year-old was a second-half substitute against Ivory Coast, replacing Rangers’ Liam Kelly, who has also been in the mix of late, but at club level, he played second fiddle to Jack Butland and was limited to three caps.

Meanwhile, the likes of Ciaran Slicker and Ross Dohan – who featured in friendlies last summer – are unlikely to withdraw.

Defensive decisions?

Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney, Anthony Ralston, John Souter, Scott McKenna, Jack Hendry and Aaron Hickey were each in the World Cup qualifying squad, so you’d expect them on the plane to the US.

The same may apply to Grant Hanley. The 34-year-old was in every squad for the World Cup qualifiers and the March games. However, the experienced defender was injured in Hibs’ defeat to Motherwell on Saturday.

Nathan Patterson, Ross McCrory and Dom Haim all featured in the warm-up games and will be in Clarke’s thoughts.

But what about those who did not camp last? Sassuolo’s Josh Dwigg and Derby County’s Max Johnston have been in recent squads and could look to force their way into the equation.

While Hearts could be represented at both ends of the pitch in the summer, fans of the Scottish Premiership runners-up will feel the likes of Stuart Findlay and Harry Milne should also strengthen Scotland’s defensive line.

Midfield continuity

The strongest part of the Scotland team, at least on paper, is the midfield.

Ballon d’Or-nominee Scott McTominay further enhanced his icon status with an outrageous overhead kick opener against Denmark and is crucial to Scottish hopes alongside talisman John McGinn this summer.

In fact, if fit, seven players should be finalized in each squad for the qualifiers. That list includes Billy Gilmour, Ryan Christie, Lewis Ferguson, Ben Gannon-Doak and Kenny McLean – yes, the one who scored from the halfway line.

Gannon-Doc – who missed Euro 2024 through injury – is the only player on the list not to feature in the Japan and Ivory Coast squads. However, he is now back from the injury he picked up in the win over Denmark last November.

Although he offers speed in wide areas that many other Scotland players can’t, Clarke believes 19-year-old Findlay can offer “something similar” to Curtis Gannon-Doke.

The winger, who spent the second half of the season on loan to Kilmarn from Rangers, was a surprise call-up for these warm-up games. He continued to impress with four goals in their last four games at Rugby Park which ensured safety.

Meanwhile, Andy Irving returned to the fold in March and will be hoping to force his way in after Czech side Sparta Prague. Hibernian’s Josh Mulligan, Rangers’ Connor Barron, Motherwell’s Elliott Watt and Falkirk’s Calvin Miller will be among others hoping to have shown Clarke enough for his thinking.

Surprise striker?

The forward area could be Steve Clarke’s biggest problem.

Che Adams and Lyndon Dykes are the two strikers he has relied on most during his time in charge and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they were in his World Cup squad. However, their goalscoring ratio is a concern.

Dykes missed the Euros with an ankle injury and has managed just one goal in his 14 international appearances since returning to the team.

Meanwhile, Adams has netted in four of his last 27 Scotland appearances. However, two of those came during World Cup qualifiers and he is a regular for Torino, where he has five Serie A goals this season.

If Clarke needs goals, you’d expect him to turn to Laurence Shankland. The Hearts captain missed games in March through injury but scored 16 goals in a season in which he almost fired the club from the league title.

Based on the last four squads, Ipswich’s George Hurst is in the mix to take fourth place. The 27-year-old has scored 11 times in the Sky Bet Championship, featuring in each World Cup qualifying squad, also starting the final of March’s warm-up matches.

But Clark will be without Tommy Conway. The Middlesbrough player, who had 13 goals to his name, limped off during the play-offs.

Southampton’s Ross Stewart remains a name on the Tartan Army’s lips despite picking up two of his caps in June 2022. He was injured for three months of the campaign, but returned to score six goals in the latter half of the campaign.

Hull City’s Ollie McBurney is also wanted in the squad, having scored 18 goals in 41 appearances this season – but last played for his national team in 2017.

Kieron Bowie has not featured for Scotland since moving from Hibernian to Serie A strugglers Hellas Verona in January, but has scored four goals in his last nine games in Italy.

A little closer to home, after years of playing university football, Falkirk’s Barney Stewart is also hoping to catch the eye. He scored eight goals in 14 Premiership games, also netting 6 times in 11 appearances for Dunfermline in the first half of the campaign.

Clark has plenty to weigh in on and some big calls to make.

Scotland are World Cup bound. When they’re there, the goal isn’t just making up the numbers—progressing from the group stage to a major final is the goal. Clark knows he has to pick the right team.