Scotland Men's Football Team

Hibernian midfielder Josh Mulligan has revealed how Scotland head coach Steve Clarke challenged him to "step up" into a new leadership role at Easter Road as he looks to win a place in the squad for next summer's World Cup. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Rangers have offered 29-year-old Scotland centre-half John Souttar, who is out of contract next summer, improved terms on an extension until the summer of 2028. (Daily Record), external

A voodoo priest has told how he plans to summon divine spirits to help Haiti claim a shock victory over Scotland at next summer's World Cup. (Scottish Sun), external

Scotland's top clubs are fearing a six-figure loss in their academy budgets after the Scottish FA indicated that annual payments via Club Academy Scotland could be stopped. (Daily Record), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Image source, SNS

Scotland will face Brazil, Morocco and Haiti in Group C at the World Cup in North America next summer.

Let us know if you've made any plans and your thoughts on the scheduled kick-off times.

02:00, Sun, 14 June v Haiti - Boston

23:00, Fri, 19 June v Morocco - Boston

23:00, Wed, 24 June v Brazil - Miami

Send us your thoughts here.

Image source, SNS

We asked for your views on Scotland's 2026 World Cup draw.

Steve Clarke's side will face Brazil, Morocco and Haiti in Group C at next summer's finals.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Gavin: I think a good start with a win against Haiti, a narrow win in the second game against Morocco, then it doesn't matter what the result against Brazil is!

James: That's not a bad draw, difficult certainly but we can get through. Must win the first game. Good to be on the east coast so decent kick-off times and not too hot.

Arthur: Not too bad. If we lose to Haiti we would deserve to go home but we should get at least a point. Then we have Morocco who are good but definitely not unbeatable. If we beat Haiti and draw with Morocco we would have four points, which would probably be enough to get through as a third-placed team, and that would leave Brazil as a glamour game. We could get something there if we needed it as Brazil very likely would have won the group already and that might help.

Craig: Let's be honest, before the draw everyone said they wanted to avoid Morocco as their pot two team so we can't sugar-coat the fact it's tough. However, four points with a decent goal difference will probably (I said probably) be enough to qualify as a best third-placed team. It's tough but doable. And it could have been worse to be fair, I was convinced we'd end up with Italy or Denmark as our pot four team.

Derek: It certainly could have been a lot lot worse. With us playing Haiti first we have a great opportunity to learn from past errors and lay down a big marker by putting a few past them. By the time we play Brazil we could have easily qualified, it is not beyond us.

Stewart: Brilliant. Easy group. Brazil will be very nervous taking on the mighty Johno McGinnio and Scott McTominaeo. In all honesty, proud to be there. Let's go for it. On our day we can beat everyone in that group. Scotland v England in the final... They're going home, they're going home. Come on Scotland!

Scotland will face Brazil, Morocco and Haiti in Group C at the World Cup in North America next summer.

Steve Clarke's side will begin against Haiti, then face the Moroccans before completing the group stage against five-time winners Brazil.

What do you make of Scotland's chances in their first men's World Cup for 28 years? Can they progress to the knockout rounds for the first time?

Let us know your thoughts here.

Image source, Getty Images

Pat Nevin says it would be a "full circle" moment for Steve Clarke if Scotland face Mexico in the World Cup opener.

Clarke scored the winner from a Nevin cross against Mexico in 1983 in front of an 85,000 crowd at the Azteca stadium to send Scotland through to the quarter-finals of the 1983 World Youth Cup.

Forty two years on, head coach Clarke will soon discover Scotland's three group-stage opponents at next summer's World Cup finals in North America, with the draw getting under way today at 17:00 GMT.

Scotland are in pot three while co-hosts Mexico are in pot one and will open the tournament on 11 June.

"It will be wonderful thing if that first game in the Azteca is Scotland," said Nevin.

"I was playing, I crossed the ball and Stevie Clarke scored the winner against Mexico [in 1983].

"That actually happened when we were both kids. What a brilliant full circle to his career it would absolutely be.

"The Azteca is an amazing place to play. But I'll be honest with you, I'd rather draw Canada [from pot one] because Mexico are a very, very good team indeed.

"We've done the glamour bit have we not? You know we've played Brazil, we've done Portugal, France, Spain, all the rest. We've done that, so I'll take Canada.

"I'll be interested and excited and I can't wait to hear who we get. But whoever we get, bring it on, and I suspect every one of the players and the manager will feel exactly the same way."

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, PA Media

Kevin Gallagher recalls "feeling like a 10-year-old" when he watched the World Cup draw as a Scotland striker in 1997.

The former Dundee United forward was part of Craig Brown's squad at the 1998 finals.

"It was a boyhood dream [to play in a World Cup]," the 59-year-old told BBC Breakfast.

"I'd seen Scotland play Brazil before in a World Cup but my boyhood dream, in my mum and dad's back garden, was to play Brazil in a World Cup final.

"That night, when I sat and watched a draw for the World Cup with major interest, when we saw the draw was Brazil as the first game, I shrank to about a 10-year-old."

Scotland will find out their group-stage opponents for the 2026 World Cup tonight (the draw starts at 17:00 GMT) but Gallagher knows the Tartan Army will be backing the squad all the way no matter their opponents.

"Getting there is key," he added.

"We were getting absolutely slaughtered by the Scottish fans for being Dad's Army because a lot of the guys were in their 30s, this was our last opportunity. It's very similar to the squad now. There's a few guys in there who, if we qualified for the next World Cup, wouldn't be there.

"The Scotland fans are the best in the world. As long as the players give 100% and the supporters feel that, they'll always be behind you. That's what's special about them.

"I think that'll help the lads hopefully relax that little bit because the fans will be the 12th man."

Andy Campbell
BBC Scotland

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Stephen O'Donnell believes every Scottish player should be trying to give national manager Steve Clarke "a headache" in the run-up to the World Cup.

The men's team will take part in next summer's finals after a 28-year absence.

"It'll give every single player that's Scottish - even the ones that maybe aren't Scottish but have Scottish somewhere - a possibility to be in the squad," said O'Donnell, who won 26 caps between 2018 and 2022.

"Steve Clarke's never shut anyone down in a squad.

"Every player that's at their club, as their manager should be doing, is keeping their mouth shut, encouraging them and hoping they go and perform well and give the Scotland manager a headache. I think that's what we all should be trying to do."

The draw for the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States takes place in Washington DC on Friday.

"I would love us to have a group that either gets the imagination, the spirit, the colour of the World Cup," said O'Donnell.

"Or I want the three worst teams possible and a right good chance of getting out it with six points or something like that.

"I'm excited to watch it, be part of it, whatever role, if any, I'm in. Player? Who knows."