Scotland enters 2026 World Cup with Clarke's 'glass ceiling' ambition and Gordon's fairytale quest

A new mindset for Clarke

Scotland head coach Steve Clarke says he approaches the 2026 World Cup as a 'different' man, candidly admitting he did not enjoy the previous two major tournaments. He described the Covid-impacted Euro 2020 as lacking 'the feel of a tournament' with reduced crowds and two group games at Hampden, and acknowledged that the team 'let ourselves down' at Euro 2024 in Germany. Clarke is now convinced that he and his players have learned from those experiences and are in a position to 'break that glass ceiling' by progressing to a historic knockout tie.

What we've achieved up to now is great. Let's see if we can achieve a little bit more.

Gordon's race against time

At 43, goalkeeper Craig Gordon is fighting to start Scotland's opening match against Haiti in Boston this weekend. He has endured a difficult season spent mostly on the sidelines but played the night Scotland secured qualification against Denmark. Gordon insists he should be the last line of defence, though he acknowledged that both Angus Gunn and Liam Kelly will feel the same way. Clarke has yet to declare his hand, although Gunn was allocated the No. 1 shirt in the squad list. Gordon dismissed the significance of shirt numbers and believes there is still time to press for a starting place.

I'll train as well as I possibly can over the next few days and see who the manager picks.

A goalkeeper's extraordinary journey

Gordon's presence in the squad is remarkable on multiple fronts. He recently became a father for the fifth time, to a son named Archer, now just eight weeks old. He also revealed that he underwent surgery for a troublesome neck injury where spine doctor Usamah Jannoun informed him that paralysis or even death were possible outcomes. Gordon admits that without the World Cup on the horizon, he probably would have retired by now. The tournament represents what he contends would be the peak of an already remarkable career.

He is just over eight weeks old now. That is definitely going to keep me young for a few more years yet. There are still a few sleepless nights and a few nappies to change.

Basecamp in Charlotte

Scotland have set up their pre-tournament base at the Charlotte FC training centre in North Carolina, a location Clarke hopes will avoid the isolation problems that affected the squad at Euro 2024 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Charlotte is a significant financial centre and major metropolitan hub but is not a World Cup host city, meaning the squad can prepare away from the full intensity of tournament hype before travelling to Boston on Friday. A planned closed-doors friendly against a Norwegian side was cancelled by the Scots, who feared picking up further injuries.

Late-night risks for fans back home

The AA has issued a warning to drivers in the UK about the dangers of drowsy driving during the World Cup. The time zone difference with the hosts (the USA, Canada, and Mexico) means many of England and Scotland's matches will finish in the early hours of the morning. Scotland's opening match against Haiti on Sunday will end close to 4am UK time. AA Accident Assist warned that fatigue has a similar impact on drivers as alcohol and could be 'particularly dangerous' if fans follow late nights with school run and rush hour journeys.

While fans are dreaming about the prospect of their team lifting the cup, it could soon become a personal nightmare if they crash due to a lack of sleep.