Scotland’s World Cup 2026 Qualifying Campaign to Commence Against Denmark or Portugal

Fernando Llorente conducted the draw for Scotland at the World Cup 2026 event in Zurich. Scotland is slated to initiate its World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign with an away match on 5 September, facing either Denmark or Portugal. The final slot in Group C will be determined in March when Denmark and Portugal compete in a Nations League A quarter-final. The losing team from this fixture will join Steve Clarke’s squad, Greece, and Belarus in Group C of the European qualifiers. Following Friday’s draw, Fifa has now released the full schedule of matches. All these fixtures are scheduled to occur within a three-month period at the close of 2025. Scotland is set to conclude its campaign on 18 November with a reverse fixture against either Denmark or Portugal, with the match taking place in Lisbon or Copenhagen. The winners of the group will progress directly to the finals, which will be held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The group runner-up will be afforded a secondary opportunity to qualify through two rounds of play-offs. Scotland’s World Cup, Group C fixtures: Friday, 5 September: Denmark or Portugal (away) Monday, 8 September: Belarus (away) Thursday, 9 October: Greece (home) Sunday, 12 October: Belarus (home) Saturday, 15 November: Greece (away) Tuesday, 18 November: Denmark or Portugal (home)