Scotland v Belarus 2026 FIFA World Cup, WM, Weltmeisterschaft, Fussball Qualifier 12/10/2025. Group C Andy Robertson of Scotland during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier, Scotland vs Belarus, The National Stadium, Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, 12/10/2025. Hampden Park The National Stadium Glasgow Scotland Editorial use only , Copyright: xColinxPoultneyx PSI-23023-0087
Scotland remain in contention at the World Cup despite a 1-0 defeat to Morocco at Foxborough, with a decisive clash against Brazil still to come in Miami on Wednesday.
Ismael Saibari settled the contest with a stunning strike, his second goal of the tournament, firing the Atlas Lions in front after just 71 seconds of play.
The Morocco danger man, who has just signed for Bayern Munich, capitalised on a desperately sloppy Scotland start to fire into the top corner beyond Angus Gunn.
Grant Hanley made a poor decision to allow Saibari to run off him, and with the automated offside system now in place, there was no flag to bail Scotland out.
It was a nightmare opening for Steve Clarke’s side, with Ryan Christie also losing possession carelessly in midfield before the damage was done.
Scotland improved markedly after the break, with John McGinn and Scott McTominay both having penalty appeals waved away by the referee in contentious decisions.
Gunn produced a crucial one-handed save to deny Stuttgart midfielder Bilal El Khannouss from a corner, keeping the deficit at one goal at a pivotal moment in the match.
Had Morocco doubled their lead, it could have proved fatal to Scotland’s goal difference and their slim hopes of reaching the knockout stages for the first time ever.
Saibari also struck the woodwork when his effort deflected off Jack Hendry, meaning Scotland were fortunate the scoreline remained as narrow as it did.
Clarke surprised many by deploying Kieran Tierney on the left flank in a flat four rather than slotting him into a back three as widely expected.
The Celtic defender had been the subject of in-depth conversations with Clarke during the training week, making his selection all the more closely watched ahead of kick-off.
Tierney was replaced after an hour by Ben Gannon-Doak after picking up an injury, cutting short what had been a difficult afternoon for the left-sided player.
Nathan Patterson was preferred to Aaron Hickey at right-back, while Ryan Christie was drafted into midfield to give Scotland an extra body in the centre of the park.
Lewis Ferguson dictated proceedings from the middle and McTominay grew into the game as the second half progressed, offering signs of real competitive quality.
Morocco are ranked sixth in the world by FIFA and are current AFCON champions, and they demonstrated their class in spells throughout the contest at Foxborough.
Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Diaz, and Saibari represent genuine world-class talent, and Scotland were made to work extremely hard just to keep the scoreline respectable.
Scotland had taken three points from their opening group game against Haiti, meaning a point here would have put them on the cusp of a historic qualification.
As things stand, that opening win may still be enough to go through depending on goal difference, but Clarke’s side may need to avoid defeat against Brazil to be certain.
Facing Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil side in Miami is an enormous ask, but the performance in the second half at least showed Scotland are capable of competing at this level.
The Tartan Army travelling to Fenway Park and beyond will dare to believe that one more result can deliver the most historic achievement in Scottish football.
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