Scotland v Belarus 2026 FIFA World Cup, WM, Weltmeisterschaft, Fussball Qualifiers Andy Robertson of Scotland during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Group C match at Hampden Park, Glasgow UK Newspapers OUT Copyright: xFredxPalmerx FIL-22351-0159
Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn has described the agonising wait to discover his country’s World Cup fate as a unique and painful experience for the squad.
Steve Clarke’s side picked up just three points in Group C, leaving their hopes of reaching the knockout round hanging by the slimmest of threads.
Scotland are based in Charlotte, watching other results come in and hoping for an unlikely sequence of outcomes to go in their favour.
Gunn, widely considered one of Scotland’s standout performers at the tournament, was visibly deflated following Wednesday night’s 3-0 defeat to Brazil in Miami.
That result came on the back of a 1-0 loss to Morocco in Boston, leaving Scotland’s World Cup campaign on the verge of an early exit.
The 30-year-old goalkeeper acknowledged that the campaign as a whole has not met expectations, particularly the manner in which goals have been conceded.
Gunn said: “It will take a few days to recover from Wednesday night. Now, we’ll be watching the games, praying that we get another chance.”
He added: “But it’s a unique, weird place to be. Being in one of the earlier groups, we didn’t know what we HAD to do.”
Gunn noted that teams playing later in the tournament have a clearer picture of what they need, making Scotland’s position particularly frustrating to navigate.
He said: “Sometimes in football you get lucky so let’s hope it’s on our side this time. I’m gutted, so disappointed.”
Despite his personal performances drawing praise, Gunn pulled off impressive saves against both Morocco and Brazil, including denying Vinicius Jr a hat-trick in the latter fixture.
He reflected honestly on Scotland’s defensive errors, saying: “The manner in which we’ve conceded goals in the tournament has been disappointing.”
Gunn acknowledged that Scotland showed some positive signs in possession, saying: “Other than those mistakes, we actually looked pretty good on the ball and controlled a lot of possession against better teams.”
He stressed, however, that individual errors ultimately proved decisive, adding: “But those errors have obviously cost us.”
The goalkeeper was equally candid about his inability to draw any personal satisfaction from his performances while the team’s fate remains so uncertain.
He said: “I can’t feel pleased with myself and how I’ve played – not right now. Because we’ve lost goals and games.”
Gunn expressed hope that Scotland’s goal difference would not prove to be the deciding factor in whether they advance, referencing the earlier match against Haiti specifically.
He said: “Do I hope we’re not looking back on the Haiti game and wishing we’d scored more goals? Well, exactly. But let’s hope we’re not.”
Scotland’s best remaining hope is finishing among the top third-ranked nations across all groups, a scenario that depends entirely on results elsewhere going their way.
Gunn summed up the squad’s mindset plainly, saying: “There wouldn’t be a bad way to qualify. That was our target in a very tough group.”
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