We continue our Fantasy FIFA World Cup team previews with the third favourites in Group C, Scotland.

A rollercoaster of a qualifying campaign with a dramatic, euphoric ending meant Steve Clarke’s men will compete at the country’s first World Cup since 1998.

There are some parallels to Scotland’s previous foray at the 1998 World Cup, namely the presence of Brazil and Morocco in their group. Clarke and co will be hoping to avoid defeats – the results on that occasion – against at least one of those two this time around.

If they can do so, and get off to a positive start against Haiti, then progression to a first-ever knockout stage at a major tournament may be on the cards. Famous last words, from this hopeful Scotsman…

But without further ado, and before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s remind ourselves of Scotland’s route to this point, as well as Clarke’s confirmed squad and best players for the official Fantasy FIFA World Cup 2026 game.

SQUAD

There were few surprises when Clarke named his squad in mid-May, with the gaffer’s core group from qualification and indeed much of his tenure maintained.

Nottingham Forest back-up Angus Gunn ($3.6m) is likely to challenge Hearts veteran Craig Gordon ($3.5m) between the posts, while departing Liverpool legend Andy Robertson ($5.0m) is the skipper and a shoo-in at left-back.

The central defensive spots are among those potentially most up for grabs. Hibernian’s Grant Hanley ($3.5m), Rangers’ John Souttar ($3.8m) and Dinamo Zagreb’s Scott McKenna ($3.8m) were all regulars throughout qualifying, supported by the likes of Al-Ettifaq’s Jack Hendry ($3.9m).

Having put together a solid and mercifully injury-free campaign for Celtic, Kieran Tierney ($4.3m) is a versatile option on the left of a back three, in his natural left-back position if Robertson needs a rest, or even as an emergency right-back.

Further forward, Southampton’s Ross Stewart ($5.4m), Hearts’ Lawrence Shankland ($5.5m) and Ipswich’s George Hirst ($4.6m) will hope to challenge Clarke’s established rotating strikeforce duo of Che Adams ($5.4m) and Lyndon Dykes ($4.6m).

Midfield is surely the Scots’ most talent-laden third of the pitch.

There, Scott McTominay ($6.5m) and Aston Villa’s Europa League-winning captain John McGinn ($6.0m) – typically a left-sided midfielder for the national team – pick themselves, as should deep-lying duo Ryan Christie ($5.6m) of Bournemouth and Lewis Ferguson ($4.8m) of Bologna.

THE ROAD TO QUALIFICATION

Scotland’s qualification journey was indeed a rollercoaster, despite them winning four and losing just one of their six matches in Europe’s Group C qualifying pot.

A goalless but promising stalemate in Denmark in the opening qualifying game was followed by slightly laboured home and away victories against minnows Belarus. Those victories came either side of a stunning comeback win over Greece. 

The Greeks then looked to have ended Scotland’s hopes of automatic qualification by winning the reverse fixture a month later, only for Belarus to eke out a draw with otherwise would-be group-toppers Denmark the same evening.

That turned the Danes’ trip to Hampden days later into a winner-takes-all showdown. Boy, did it deliver. With the game locked at 2-2, stoppage-time goals from Tierney and McLean sent Scotland into a frenzy.

Qualification was certainly a team effort, with no single player earning more than two goals or two assists. A total of 13 goals as a group made Scotland the joint sixth-highest scoring European nation of those who secured automatic qualification (and thereby played only six qualifying matches). That’s despite a comparatively lower ranking for some underlying stats such as shots and corners taken.

Seven goals conceded across the six qualifying matches – five of them in two games alone – wasn’t a terrible record either.

The expected goals and goals conceded (xG and xGC) data placed the Scots just inside the desirable section of the below StatsBomb graph.

BIGGEST GOAL THREATS IN QUALIFICATION

So, where did the goals come from?

Two of them were scored by Torino’s Che Adams, who bagged the first of the qualifying campaign to open the scoring in the first Belarus encounter before teeing up the Billy Gilmour ($5.1m) header that forced an own goal to finish that match off.

Adams’ other successful effort also came against Belarus, in the reverse fixture, but that proved to be his final direct goal involvement despite amassing a team-high 15 shots and 2.68 non-penalty xG.

Star man Scott McTominay also scored twice in qualifying, once in the Belarus home tie plus a sensational overhead effort to open the Denmark showdown. Ryan Christie was the other Scotsman to find the net twice, beginning the smash-and-grab Greece comeback on matchday three before bagging another in the ill-fated reverse fixture away from home.

McTominay trailed Adams for shots (11), but Ben Gannon-Doak ($4.9m) actually amassed the second-highest xG tally (1.11) with his six attempts.

No penalties were awarded to the Scots across their six qualifying matches.

MOST CREATIVE PLAYERS IN QUALIFYING

John McGinn failed to score in this qualifying campaign despite racking up seven shots, but he did deliver an assist with one of his seven key passes.

A team-high ‘xG assisted’ mark of 1.42 suggests McGinn was perhaps unlucky not to register more direct goal involvements, but anyone familiar with the Villa skipper’s game will know how integral he has been at both club and country level in recent years.

Andy Robertson was the only man to claim more than one assist for Scotland; he trailed McGinn in the xG assisted stat, but came out on top for key passes (11).

SINCE QUALIFICATION

Having wrapped up qualification by the end of the six-match run in mid-November, Scotland contested two friendlies in the opening months of 2026.

Both ended in rather disappointing 1-0 losses, to Japan at Hampden and then Ivory Coast at Anfield. Clarke experimented with his XI and squad more than usual – only Andy Robertson and Scott McTominay started both games.

The Scots’ final friendly before the World Cup comes against Curacao on May 30. That should be more of a pointer when it comes to the Haiti starting XI.

WORLD CUP FIXTURES

When it comes to Fantasy, it’s probably going to be diminishing returns as the group stage goes on.

The Scots’ group stage campaign begins against Haiti – making their first appearance on this stage since 1974 – in Boston on June 13.

Then, it’s African heavyweights and 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco, before a trip to Miami to face the mighty Brazilians.

In short: the Scots are good Round 1 picks but can be overlooked thereafter.

TOP FANTASY PICKS

Few would argue with Scott McTominay’s status as the stand-out star from this Scotland squad. His goal-scoring record as a box-crashing attacking midfielder, including for Napoli, speaks for itself, and there’s a chance he could be on penalty-taking duty.

The more creatively-inclined John McGinn may also be somewhere in that pecking order, as could Ryan Christie.

Andy Robertson is the most nailed-on starter from the backline and also carries assist potential.

In terms of the frontline, it may be best to avoid the centre-forwards in this squad. Lawrence Shankland, Ross Stewart and George Hirst all enjoyed more prolific seasons at club level than Che Adams or Lyndon Dykes but the latter duo are undoubtedly ‘Clarke’s men’, having been mainstays for much of the manager’s time at the helm. Adams seemed to have become first choice in qualifying, but his lack of clinical finishing could be a cause for concern and certainly creates some uncertainty about who will lead the line in Round 1.

It is also probably unnecessary to look past Robertson when it comes to Scotland’s defenders.

While a back four of some description (4-2–3-1 or 4-1-4-1, for example) was used throughout the qualifying campaign, possible rotation combined with a general lack of reliable upside (there are no rewards for clearances, blocks etc) and relatively low chance of clean sheets means there are probably better Fantasy options elsewhere.