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Scotland secured their place in the 2026 World Cup finals in dramatic style, scoring two stoppage-time goals to edge past Denmark and claim the top spot in their final qualifying group.

Following a hard-fought victory over Haiti, the Tartan Army celebrated their nation’s first win at a major international tournament in three decades, having endured only defeats and draws at the last two European Championships.

While that triumph alone was enough to thrill travelling supporters, Scotland’s presence at the World Cup opens up the possibility—however remote—of a journey all the way to the grand finale of the global football showpiece, should Steve Clarke’s men surpass all expectations.

If Scotland finish first in their group, they would face the runner-up from Group F in the round of 32. Should they finish as runners-up, they would instead meet the winner of that group, which features the Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, and Sweden.

If the Scots end up among the eight best third-placed teams after the group stage, they would go up against one of the group winners from Groups A, E, or I in the first knockout round.

For the sake of projection, let’s assume Scotland finish second in their group and the Netherlands top Group F, as the highest-ranked side there, setting up a round of 32 clash between the two nations.

In that case, the winner would move on to face the victor of the tie between the runners-up of Groups A and B. A challenging quarter-final could then loom against France or Germany, provided both teams top Groups E and I respectively.

If England were to win their group in this scenario, the earliest possible meeting between the two British neighbours would be in the final. Below is a projected route based on current FIFA rankings, outlining a possible path for Scotland through the tournament.

13 June: Scotland 1-0 Haiti (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough)

18 June: Scotland 0-1 Morocco (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough)

24 June: Scotland vs Brazil (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami)

29 June: Scotland vs Netherlands (Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe)

4 July: Scotland vs South Korea (NRG Stadium, Houston)

9 July: Scotland vs France (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough)

14 July: Scotland vs Spain (AT&T Stadium, Dallas)

19 July: Scotland vs Argentina (MetLife Stadium, New Jersey)