Steve Clarke announces Scotland's World Cup squad: 43-year-old Craig Gordon among the 26 players
The Scotland national football team has announced a 26-player squad for the 2026 World Cup, and the return of 43-year-old goalkeeper Craig Gordon has attracted the most attention. According to announcements by FIFA and the Scottish Football Association, head coach Steve Clarke included the experienced Hearts goalkeeper in the squad despite the fact that his season was marked by injury and limited club minutes. Gordon is therefore returning to the big stage at a time when Scotland is preparing for its first World Cup appearance since 1998.
The squad was announced on 19 May 2026, less than a month before the start of the tournament in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. Scotland will play in Group C, where it will face Haiti, Morocco and Brazil, and according to FIFA's schedule it will play its first two matches in Boston before travelling to Miami. For a national team that Clarke is leading through the most successful period in its recent history, the announcement of the squad marked the end of one phase of preparations and the beginning of the final stage of getting the team ready.
Gordon's experience and Clarke's loyalty to a proven group
The inclusion of Craig Gordon has resonated most because of his age, but also because of the fact that he has not had continuity of appearances at club level. Sky Sports reported that Gordon, Angus Gunn and Liam Kelly have had very few club appearances this season, with Gordon making three appearances for Hearts. The Guardian states that Clarke sent goalkeeping coach Chris Woods to monitor Gordon's work in training, after which the head coach concluded that the veteran was fit enough for the tournament.
According to The Guardian's report, Clarke stressed that Gordon is training very well, that he himself says he is fully fit and that he deserved a place because he took part in the qualifying campaign. That statement fits into the broader pattern of Clarke's management of the national team: the head coach has previously given priority to continuity, trust and relationships inside the dressing room, rather than exclusively to current club form. That is precisely why the squad contains a large number of players who carried the burden of qualification and who know the demands of his system well.
Gordon's presence also has symbolic weight. He is a goalkeeper who made his debut for the national team back in 2004, went through serious injuries and returned to top-level football several times. Although it is not certain whether he will be the first choice at the tournament, his inclusion in the final squad shows that the coaching staff sees more in him than a reserve goalkeeper. Experience in major matches, work ethic and influence on younger players are the reasons why his name was among those travelling to North America.
Young Findlay Curtis and returnee Ross Stewart among the interesting names
In addition to Gordon, the notable names include 19-year-old Findlay Curtis and forward Ross Stewart. Curtis, according to Sky Sports and The Guardian, earned his call-up after a good end to the season on loan at Kilmarnock from Rangers. Clarke described him as a player who brings something different, noting that in a team fighting in the lower part of the table he showed the ability to score goals and finished the season in good rhythm.
Stewart's return also carries an important story. The Guardian states that the Southampton forward was included after four years away from the national team and that he marked the end of the season with five goals in his last ten matches. Clarke pointed out that Stewart had already previously been part of the national-team environment, that he fitted well into the group and that, after a difficult period with injuries, he showed he can score important goals. Tommy Conway's injury further narrowed the options in attack, but according to available reports Clarke said that Stewart had been in his plans even before that.
The forward line therefore includes Ché Adams, Lyndon Dykes, George Hirst, Lawrence Shankland and Ross Stewart. Shankland enters the squad after a season in which, according to Sky Sports, he was one of Hearts' standout players, while Adams and Dykes are forwards on whom Clarke relied most often in previous cycles. Hirst retained his place after being part of the qualifying gatherings, which further confirms the head coach's preference for players who are already integrated into the group.
The 26-player squad for the 2026 World Cup
According to the official announcement by the Scottish Football Association, Clarke's squad consists of three goalkeepers, ten defenders, eight midfielders and five forwards. In defence, captain Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney, Aaron Hickey, Grant Hanley and John Souttar are expectedly included, while among the midfielders are Scott McTominay, John McGinn, Billy Gilmour and Lewis Ferguson. The list shows that Scotland is going to the tournament with a clear core of players who have already carried the qualifying campaign, with several additions who earned their places through form or a profile needed for tournament football.
Goalkeepers
- Craig Gordon
- Angus Gunn
- Liam Kelly
Defenders
- Grant Hanley
- Jack Hendry
- Aaron Hickey
- Dom Hyam
- Scott McKenna
- Nathan Patterson
- Anthony Ralston
- Andy Robertson
- John Souttar
- Kieran Tierney
Midfielders
- Ryan Christie
- Findlay Curtis
- Lewis Ferguson
- Ben Gannon-Doak
- Billy Gilmour
- John McGinn
- Kenny McLean
- Scott McTominay
Forwards
- Ché Adams
- Lyndon Dykes
- George Hirst
- Lawrence Shankland
- Ross Stewart
Compared with earlier gatherings, the absences also say a lot about the direction of the head coach's thinking. The Guardian states that among the players who did not make the final squad were Lennon Miller, Oli McBurnie and Ross McCrorie, while Conway was left without the possibility of appearing at the tournament because of an ankle injury. According to the same source, Clarke spoke with some of the players who did not survive the final cut in order to explain the decision to them, which further shows how sensitive the final selection was.
Group C brings Haiti, Morocco and Brazil
FIFA announced that Scotland will open its campaign against Haiti on 13 June 2026 at Boston Stadium, then on 19 June it will play Morocco at the same stadium, and on 24 June it will face Brazil at Miami Stadium. Such a schedule means Clarke's team will play its first two matches in the same city, which can ease logistics and preparation, before the final meeting with one of the most famous national teams in World Cup history.
The group is demanding and varied in sporting terms. Brazil, regardless of its squad and current form, will represent a top-profile opponent for every national team. Morocco has in recent years acquired the status of a team that can play very organised and competitive football at the highest level, while Haiti represents for Scotland the match in which public expectations will probably be most focused on winning points. Precisely because of the new competition format, every match can carry great weight, including the battle for places among the best third-placed national teams.
According to the format rules announced by FIFA, the 2026 World Cup will for the first time have 48 national teams, divided into 12 groups of four teams. The top two national teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams will advance to the knockout stage. This means that the threshold for progression is changing compared with earlier tournaments, but at the same time the number of matches in which even a point or goal difference can decide the continuation of the competition is increasing.
Preparations in Glasgow, Florida and New Jersey
The Scottish Football Association announced that the players will first prepare at Lesser Hampden before a home friendly match against Curaçao. After that, the national team will travel to a training camp at Florida Blue Training Center, Inter Miami's complex, and then comes the final test against Bolivia at Sports Illustrated Arena in New Jersey. The association also stated that the base of the players and coaching staff during the tournament will be in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Such a preparation plan reflects the need for the team to adapt to travel, time zones and conditions in North America. A tournament played in three countries and sixteen cities brings logistical challenges different from most previous editions. For Scotland, it will be especially important to maintain stability in the first part of the competition, because two matches in Boston provide an opportunity to avoid excessive moving before the final clash with Brazil in Miami.
Clarke must resolve several key issues in the final tests. The most visible is the goalkeeping question, because Gordon, Gunn and Kelly arrive without a large number of club minutes. In addition, the coaching staff must decide how to distribute minutes in attack, where familiar solutions and returnee Stewart are combined, and how best to use the energy of younger players such as Curtis and Ben Gannon-Doak. In midfield, where McTominay, McGinn, Gilmour, Ferguson, McLean and Christie are found, Scotland has the greatest continuity and experience from the last qualifying cycles.
First appearance since 1998 and an attempt to break out of the group
Scotland's return to the World Cup after 28 years is the central sporting story surrounding this generation. Sky Sports and The Guardian point out that the national team is returning to the biggest stage for the first time since the 1998 tournament, and Clarke will try to achieve what Scotland has so far failed to do at World Cups: get through the group. The new format opens an additional possibility, but it does not remove the pressure, especially in a group where the final match comes against Brazil.
Clarke's squad shows a balance between experience and a limited number of fresh solutions. Andy Robertson, McGinn, McTominay, Tierney, Hanley and Gordon represent a core that knows how to handle demanding matches, while Curtis, Gannon-Doak and Ferguson give the team additional profiles for different scenarios. In tournament football such depth can be decisive, especially in a group where opponents bring different styles and rhythms of play.
The announcement of the final squad is therefore not just an administrative step before travel. It is confirmation of Clarke's faith in the group that built the result, but also an assessment that experience, character and continuity can have the same value as club minutes ahead of a major competition. Gordon's name at the top of the story best summarises that approach: Scotland is taking to North America a team in which the return of a veteran, opportunities for young players and the stable core of the qualifying campaign come together in an attempt to turn a historic return into a result that will last longer than qualification itself.
Sources: - FIFA – announcement of Scotland's squad, groups and match schedule at the 2026 World Cup (link) - Scottish Football Association – official 26-player squad and preparation plan of the Scotland national team (link) - Sky Sports – analysis of the squad, goalkeepers' club minutes and the context around Scotland's return to the World Cup (link) - The Guardian – report on the selection of Ross Stewart, Craig Gordon, Findlay Curtis and the players who did not make the squad (link) - FIFA – explanation of the 2026 World Cup format with 48 national teams and progression for the best third-placed teams (link)