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 manager Steve Clarke has made clear he wants his side to earn their place in the World Cup knockout stages, not stumble through a back door.
Clarke will send his players out against five-time winners Brazil at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, needing to avoid a heavy defeat to clinch a history-making place in the last 32.
While the Scotland boss admits he will take qualification any way the rules allow, he insists he would far prefer his side give Brazil an unexpected bloody nose.
Clarke said: “I’d much rather go through with the win or the draw than go through the other way. Because then you just feel as though it was earned. It would feel a little bit better to go through that way. A little bit.”
He drew a direct comparison to Scotland’s two recent European Championship qualifications, contrasting the Nations League play-off route with the more commanding group-stage finish behind Spain.
Clarke added: “The next time we qualified four years later we went through because we were bloody good in the group and we finished second behind a top Spanish side. That just felt a little bit more like, ‘WE did that!'”
He was also clear that pragmatism would ultimately win out if circumstances dictated otherwise, saying: “Obviously, we’ll take that! But I’d much rather do it again in this competition. But don’t get me wrong. If it happens the other way I’ll take it.”
Asked whether his players share that desire to qualify on their own terms, Clarke was emphatic, saying: “We want to do it. We want to do it.”
He acknowledged the frustration of failing to secure all three points against Morocco on Friday night, but stressed that the Brazil match now represents a golden opportunity to right that wrong.
Clarke said: “Now we have another chance to do it against Brazil and, like I said before, if you’re living the dream, then what a dream it is!”
Statisticians have been working overtime to map out the various qualification scenarios ahead of the crunch fixture at the Hard Rock Stadium.
A three or four goal defeat would most likely leave Scotland teetering on the brink of elimination, despite their opening Group C victory over Haiti in Boston.
Losing by one or two goals, however, would likely see Scotland progress as one of the best third-placed sides across all the World Cup groups.
One point would all but guarantee that progression, potentially setting up a last 32 clash against either Germany in Boston or Mexico at the Azteca.
Scotland and Brazil have met four times on the World Cup stage, with Scotland managing just a single draw in 1974, followed by defeats in 1982, 1990, and 1998.
In total, Scotland have failed to record a single win across ten previous meetings with Brazil at all levels of international competition.
Clarke, however, remained bullish about what this current generation of players is capable of delivering, saying: “This group of players enjoys setting records and doing fantastic things for the country. Let’s see how many more boxes we can tick.”
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