Ally McCoist has backed Scotland to end their major tournament disappointment with a good run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament.
The World Cup will hold in the United States, Mexico and Canada from the 11th of this month and will run until the 19th of July, with 48 countries competing for a shot at the world championship.
Scotland will compete at the mundial for the first time since 1998, although they failed to get out of the group stage in that edition.
The Tartan Army have never progressed beyond the group stage, while they also endured disappointing campaigns at recent European championships, failing to also progress beyond the first round at the 2020 and 2024 editions.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Ally McCoist has backed Scotland to perform better than at previous tournaments.
“He’s got us to the last two Euros, he’s got us to the last World Cup, but we’ve got to make an impact, do something that makes us all talk about Scotland for a reason”, McCoist said.
“We never laid a glove on anybody [at the Euros]. I genuinely think we should win our opening game [against Haiti].
“John McGinn, [Scott] McTominay, [Ryan] Christie, they’re all good footballers,” McCoist added.
“[Kieran] Tierney and [Andy] Robertson, we’ve got guys now who are comfortable on the ball. We’ve got defenders that are just solid, we’ve always had that. They’re solid, honest defenders. We lack a bit of quality in forward areas, of course we do.”
Scotland will compete in group C of the World Cup alongside Haiti, Brazil and Morocco. They will begin their campaign against Haiti on Sunday, June 14, as they look to progress past the group stage for the first time in history.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
