Scotland's FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign has ended in disappointment, with the team failing to advance beyond the group stage.

What happened?

The Scottish Football Association has paid tribute to outgoing coach Steve Clarke, who guided the team back to major international tournaments after a 28-year absence from the FIFA World Cup. Clarke resigned following the nation's group-stage elimination.

Why it matters for Scotland

Recent form has been a concern, with a record of 1W-0D-1L in the last two matches, and the last result being a 0-4 win against Liechtenstein on 2025-06-09.

What comes next?

The search for a new coach is underway, as Scotland looks to rebuild and improve for future tournaments. | Date | Result | | --- | --- | | 2025-06-09 | Liechtenstein 0-4 Scotland | Other national teams, such as Italy and Saudi Arabia, have also made coaching changes after disappointing World Cup campaigns. Italy's Gabriele Gravina and Saudi Arabia's Yasser Al-Misehal resigned after their teams failed to meet expectations.

Coaching casualties

Tunisia's Sabri Lamouchi and Netherlands' Ronald Koeman are among the other coaches who have stepped down after the World Cup. The coaching changes are a sign of the high stakes and intense pressure in international football. As Scotland looks to the future, the team will be hoping to learn from the experience and come back stronger in the next tournament.