The long wait is over. 28 years between World Cup finals for Scotland – but the players and fans will have to wait a little bit longer to find out who their opponents will be.
Supporters up and down the country have been dusting down their passports and booking their summer holidays already after the epic 4-2 victory over Denmark at Hampden Park sent Steve Clarke’s side through to the tournament, which will be played in USA, Canada and Mexico next summer.
The date in everyone’s diary now is Friday, 5 December when the draw takes place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC at 5pm UK time.
The expanded tournament will see 104 games played, with 48 teams competing from 11 June to 19 July 2026 across three countries for the first time ever.
The Scots stamped their tickets to a first World Cup finals since France 98 on a nerve-tingling night in Glasgow, and will now start to dream who they will face and in what famous venues.
What we do know, though, is where the group games will be held.
Mexico City’s iconic Azteca Stadium will host the opening game of the tournament becoming the first stadium to host three World Cup opening matches after also having the honour in 1970 and 1986.
Host cities are Mexico: Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey; Canada: Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle; USA: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami and New Jersey.
The final will be played in the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with Coldplay involved in putting together a half-time show inspired by the NFL’s Super Bowl.
The Tartan Army won’t care in the slightest where they have to go, but logistically it would be ideal were the matches played on the eastern seaboard of the USA, Boston, New Jersey and Philadelphia all well served by direct transatlantic flights from Edinburgh and Glasgow.
A jubilant Clarke, the first Scotland manager to qualify for three major tournaments, said: “We’ve been on a journey. I spoke to them about it pre-match, about how this is the opportunity we’ve waited for. What a night, eh?
”What a fantastic group of players. I’ve said it for a long time now about how good they are and how determined they are to be good for their country. They showed that tonight, I couldn’t be happier for my players, I couldn’t be happier.”
The Scots were below par for the majority of the game but rode their luck to storm to glory, Steven MacLean’s stunning effort from his own half completing the victory after a remarkable over-head opener from Scott McTominay, Lawrence Shankland’s tap-in and Kieran Tierney’s wonderful injury-time thunderbolt which put the home side 3-2 up.
The last time North America hosted the World Cup was in 1994, when Brazil beat Italy on penalties. Scotland missed out on that one after five consecutive appearances. The aim now for Scotland is to make it through the group stages to the knockout phase for the first time.
They have qualified for the World Cup on eight occasions but have never gone beyond the group stages.
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