Scotland have gone a long way under Steve Clarke. The shot that sealed their greatest journey certainly did. Kenny McLean was inside his own half when he let fly, a 50-yard shot in the play-off against Denmark to book a 3,000-mile flight across the Atlantic. McLean’s was the third wonder goal Scotland scored on one astonishing evening; Lawrence Shankland’s close-range finish was rather overshadowed by Scott McTominay’s overhead kick and Kieran Tierney’s long-range curler even before McLean added his injury-time entry to the goal-of-the-game contest.

It tapped into Scotland’s rich history. There have been tragicomic failures, a perennial inability to get out of the group, but also the moments of brilliance that lend hope. Scotland’s first World Cup in the Americas featured the goal that – with apologies to McLean, McTominay and Tierney – surely still ranks as the greatest in their country’s colours; Archie Gemmill’s slaloming strike against a Netherlands team who nevertheless reached the 1978 World Cup final, but only after losing to Scotland. “Ally’s army” failed to conquer Argentina, and manager Ally MacLeod’s confidence looked more like delusion.

Now, a Miami tie with Brazil promises to evoke memories of their 1982 meeting and the David Narey thunderbolt that put Scotland ahead. The Scots went on to lose 4-1 and to exit a third consecutive World Cup on goal difference.

All of which may have a pertinence again. Scotland are in a pool with 2022 semi-finalists Morocco and perennial contenders Brazil. Scotland and the Selecao seem drawn to each other: this is a fifth meeting, of which a stalemate in 1974 brought the Scots’ only point. Morocco beat them 3-0 in 1998, when such a scoreline could rank as more of a surprise.

Logic may suggest Scotland’s best chance of progressing is among the better third-placed finishers, involving having a respectable goal difference and beating Haiti. Scotland’s past indicates that is not guaranteed: they drew with Iran in 1978 and lost to Costa Rica in 1990. They enter their ninth World Cup with just four wins so far: against Zaire, as they were called then, in 1974, the Netherlands in 1978, New Zealand in 1982 and Sweden in 1990.

But those at least came in an era when qualifying was the norm. Part of the reason why scenes of unbridled joy greeted November’s play-off victory over Denmark was that Scotland had become strangers to global occasions. Only one country had played in at least eight World Cups, but none in the 21st century: Scotland. After qualifying for six out of seven, they reached none of the last six.

Now Clarke is compiling a case to be the most successful Scotland manager of all. It is based largely on lesser stages, but no one else has taken Scotland to three major tournaments. They went two decades without qualifying for anything until Clarke changed a pattern of decline.

The qualms about him concern, in part, his record in the biggest games. Scotland took one point each in Euro 2020 and 2024; they were arguably the worst side in the latter. They only scored one goal in each, from Callum McGregor and McTominay, respectively. Scotland’s last victory in a tournament remains the 1-0 against Switzerland in Euro 96; the man who earned it, Ally McCoist, will be in the United States this summer, but as a pundit in his sixties.

Should Clarke fail to end Scotland’s wait, either for a win or to finally reach the knockout stages of anything, it would bring into question the SFA’s wisdom in giving him a new four-year contract. But he has brought common sense, continuity and a common bond.

Playing in a World Cup is in itself the culmination of something. For the captain, Andy Robertson, and his deputy, John McGinn, each in his thirties, both among their country’s most capped players, it is likely to be the only one. Neither peaked in either of their European Championships, but Aston Villa’s Europa League-winning skipper has had arguably the best season of his career; the Napoli Scudetto MVP McTominay the best two years.

Clarke has a core of solid citizens, with a dash of youth. The 20-year-old Findlay Curtis was his youngest choice, until Billy Gilmour was ruled out and Tyler Fletcher, 19, a veteran of just 17 minutes of league football, was called up.

They drag the average age down, but this is still one of the oldest squads in the tournament. The oldest of all, Craig Gordon, has lived through three Scotland World Cup campaigns. The 43-year-old goalkeeper was born a mere six months after Narey stunned Brazil, at least until Zico and co responded.

There is, of course, a still older man of Scottish heritage who could cast a shadow over the World Cup. If the Tartan Army seem certain to provide a welcome addition to the tournament – and, while a kilt or two may have been seen in Boston over the years, the chances are that they have been worn rather less in Miami – it has also been shaped by the man with a Scottish mother. Though in the good humour and self-deprecating wit of the supporters, the down-to-earth nature of Clarke’s players, their collective commitment to gradual improvement and a relatively modest aim of reaching the last 32, there may be little of this Scotland in Donald Trump.

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Algeria star Ibrahim Maza has emphatically claimed that his side ‘will beat’ superstar forward Lionel Messi’s Argentina in their opening fixture at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The young midfielder asserted that his team could overcome the challenge posed by the South American juggernauts if they ‘put effort’ into their game and keep their composure.

Led by Messi’s seven goals and three assists in seven games, Argentina won their third FIFA World Cup title at the 2022 edition. Although mainstays like Paulo Dybala and Angel Di Maria are not in the current squad, they are still considered heavy favourites to win the 2026 edition.

Lionel Scaloni’s side have been drawn into Group J, alongside Algeria, Austria and Jordan. Although the draw is relatively straight-forward on paper, the defending champions will be looking to avoid a slip-up like the shock 1-2 loss to Saudi Arabia in their 2022 opener.

Conversely, the Algerians have seemingly embraced their underdog status, with Maza’s recent comments confirming their approach to the Argentina fixture. Speaking to media upon his side’s arrival in Kansas on Sunday (June 7), the 20-year-old, who plays his club football for Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, said (via tycsports):

“We will beat Messi, God willing. We have to have a good World Cup, and the first game against Argentina is very important… They (Argentina) provoke a lot, but we have to put effort into the game, play with our heads and see what happens. God willing, we will do well and beat Messi.”

With the 2026 edition likely to be Messi‘s final appearance at a FIFA World Cup, the defending champions will be eager to repeat their heroics from the 2022 edition.

“We will face it like any other game” – Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez on FIFA World Cup opener vs Lionel Messi’s Argentina

Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez claimed that his side will approach their opening game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Argentina as ‘any other game’.

While the Fennecs do not have any superstars in their squad, they have a host of players who have proven their mettle in European and international football. The likes of Mahrez (Al-Ahli), Rayan Ait Nouri (Manchester City), Amine Gouiri (Marseille) and Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Dortmund) are considered among the top players in their respective leagues.

Mahrez, who starred in the Premier League with Leicester City and Manchester City, claimed that his team is ready for the World Cup. Speaking to media on Sunday (June 7), the 35-year-old said (via tycsports):

“We will face it like any other game. We still have a week to prepare properly, but we are ready… The truth is, I don’t know if there are so many expectations, but we will try to do it in the best way so that they are proud in our country.”

Algeria will face off against Lionel Messi’s Argentina at the Kansas City Stadium on Tuesday, June 16.