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By TUM BALOGUN, SPORTS REPORTER
Published: | Updated:
Scotland will take be placed in Pot 3 for the 2026 World Cup draw after returning to the finals for the first time since 1998 following a wild 4-2 victory over Denmark.
Steve Clarke’s side sealed top spot in Group C on a night of high drama at Hampden, where Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean struck in stoppage time to send Scotland back to the World Cup for the first time in 27 years.
Player and supporters alike are sure to celebrate into the night but attention will quickly turn to the draw for the North American showcase in a little over two weeks.
The draw will take place at 5pm on December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, where the 48-team tournament will be mapped out for the first expanded World Cup across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Pot allocations are based on FIFA rankings, with Scotland now confirmed in Pot 3 alongside Norway, Egypt, Algeria, Paraguay and Ivory Coast.
It means Clarke’s men are very likely to land one of the tournament’s heavyweights in the group stage. Pot 1 contains the likes of Argentina, Spain, France, England, Germany and Portugal.
Scotland are placed in Pot 3 for the 2026 World Cup draw after a wild 4-2 win over Denmark
England are among the 12 top seeds in the draw and will be one of the tournament’s favourites
The biggest World Cup in history will be hosted in three countries. Pictured: (L-R) US President Donald Trump, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Meanwhile, Pot 2 features established tournament sides including Croatia, Uruguay, Japan and Switzerland. One team from each pot will form a group of four, with 12 groups in total at the 2026 finals.
As ever, confederation rules apply, ensuring that teams from the same region cannot be drawn together apart from UEFA, where a maximum of two European nations can be placed in the same group.
The three host nations, Canada, Mexico and the United States, will be assigned to groups A, B and D, respectively.
Scotland’s qualification means Clarke has now led his side to three of the last four major tournaments, following Euro 2020 and Euro 2024.
Skipper Andy Robertson admitted the emotion of the night would stay with him for life, while John McGinn said he had ‘never felt anything like it in a football stadium’.
McGinn added that Scotland were ‘pretty rubbish at times’ but praised the reaction after Denmark equalised twice and after a soft second yellow card for Rasmus Kristensen swung the contest Scotland’s way.
Lawrence Shankland’s header restored the lead before Tierney and McLean settled it in stoppage time.
While Scotland can now prepare for the finals, several European nations must still fight through the play-offs.
WORLD CUP POTS
POT 1: United States, Mexico, Canada, Spain, Argentina, France, England Portugal, Brazil, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
POT 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia
POT 3: Norway, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Ivory Coast, Tunisia Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Panama, South Africa
POT 4: Curacao, Jordan, Haiti, Cape Verde, Ghana, New Zealand + Six teams TBC (Four from European play-offs, two from Intercontinental play-offs)
Troy Parrott’s hat-trick helped the Republic of Ireland secure a place in next year’s play-offs
Wales will also be vying for a spot in next summer’s tournament after clinching a place in the play-offs
Italy, Denmark, Turkey and Ukraine are the top seeds, while Wales, Poland, Czechia and Slovakia sit in Pot 2.
Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and the Republic of Ireland are in Pot 3, with Sweden, Romania, North Macedonia and Northern Ireland in Pot 4.
Those semi-final paths will be drawn on Thursday. The World Cup play-offs will take place in March 2026 and will consist of four ‘paths’, one for each vacant spot at the finals.
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