Scotland national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Scotland

Nickname(s)	The Tartan Army (supporters)
Association	Scottish Football Association
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Steve Clarke
Captain	Andrew Robertson
Most caps	Kenny Dalglish (102)
Top scorer	Kenny Dalglish Denis Law (30)
Home stadium	Hampden Park
FIFA code	SCO
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	40 2 (7 February 2019)
Highest	13 (October 2007)
Lowest	88 (March 2005)
Elo ranking
Current	40 4 (3 March 2019)
Highest	1 (1876–92, 1904)
Lowest	64 (May 2005)
First international
Scotland 0–0 England  (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) (The first ever international football match)
Biggest win
Scotland 11–0 Ireland  (Glasgow, Scotland; 23 February 1901)
Biggest defeat
Uruguay 7–0 Scotland  (Basel, Switzerland; 19 June 1954)
World Cup
Appearances	8 (first in 1954)
Best result	Group stage (1954, 1958, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998)
European Championship
Appearances	4 (first in 1992)
Best result	Group stage (1992, 1996, 2020, 2024)
Website	scottishfa.co.uk

The Scotland national football team plays for Scotland in men's international football. The team is managed by the Scottish Football Association. They play in three big tournaments: the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Nations League, and the UEFA European Championship. Scotland is part of the United Kingdom. This means Scottish athletes play for Great Britain in the Olympic Games, so the football team does not compete there. Most of Scotland's home games are played at Hampden Park in Glasgow.

Scotland and England are the oldest national football teams in the world. They played in the very first international football match in 1872. Scotland has a long-standing rivalry with England. They played each other every year from 1872 until 1989. Since then, they have only met nine times, most recently in September 2023.

Scotland has been to the FIFA World Cup eight times and the UEFA European Championship four times. However, they have never made it past the first group stage in these tournaments. The team has had some amazing moments. For example, they beat England, who were the 1966 World Cup winners, 3–2 at Wembley Stadium in 1967. Archie Gemmill scored a goal in the 1978 World Cup against the Netherlands that many call one of the greatest World Cup goals ever. Scotland won that game 3–2. In their qualifying group for UEFA Euro 2008, Scotland beat France 1–0 twice. France had been runners-up in the 2006 World Cup.

Scotland's supporters are known as the Tartan Army. The Scottish Football Association has a special list called the Scottish FA International Roll of Honour. It includes every player who has played more than 50 games for Scotland. Kenny Dalglish has played the most games for Scotland, with 102 appearances between 1971 and 1986. Dalglish also scored 30 goals for Scotland, sharing the record for most goals with Denis Law.

History of Scottish Football

How the Team Started

Pictures of the first international football match between Scotland and England in 1872.

Scotland and England have the oldest national football teams in the world. They first played against each other in five matches between 1870 and 1872. The very first official international football match happened on November 30, 1872. It was played at Hamilton Crescent in Partick, Scotland. The game ended in a 0–0 draw. All eleven players for Scotland that day played for the amateur club Queen's Park from Glasgow.

For the next 40 years, Scotland only played against the other three Home Nations: England, Wales, and Ireland. The British Home Championship started in 1883, making these games competitive. The matches against England were always very exciting, and a big rivalry quickly grew.

Scotland lost only two of their first 43 international matches. It wasn't until 1903 that they lost to a team other than England. This was a 2–0 home defeat by Ireland. Because of this success, Scotland would have often been ranked number one in the World Football Elo Ratings between 1876 and 1904. Scotland won the British Home Championship 24 times on their own. They also shared the title 17 times with other teams.

A famous win for Scotland before Second World War was their 5–1 victory over England in 1928. This team became known as the "Wembley Wizards". Scotland played their first match outside the British Isles in 1929. They beat Norway 7–3 in Bergen. Scotland also had friendly wins against Germany and France.

Scotland, like the other Home Nations, did not enter the FIFA World Cups in the 1930s. This was because the four football associations had left FIFA. They disagreed about how amateur players should be treated. After the Second World War, the four associations, including Scotland, rejoined FIFA. A special match was played at Hampden Park in 1947 to celebrate this. It was between a United Kingdom team and a "Rest of the World" team.

Joining the World Cup in the 1950s

Matt Busby was supposed to manage Scotland at the 1958 FIFA World Cup. However, he couldn't because of injuries from the Munich air disaster.

When the Scottish Football Association rejoined FIFA, Scotland could enter the 1950 FIFA World Cup. FIFA said the top two teams in the 1949–50 British Home Championship would get spots. But the SFA said Scotland would only go if they won that competition. Scotland won their first two matches. However, a 1–0 home loss to England meant Scotland finished second. Scotland had qualified, but they didn't win the Championship. The SFA stuck to their decision, even though the Scotland players and England captain Billy Wright asked them to change their minds. Instead, the SFA sent the team on a tour of North America.

The same rules were in place for the 1954 FIFA World Cup. Scotland finished second in the 1953–54 British Home Championship. This time, the SFA let the team go to the World Cup. But their "preparation was terrible." The SFA only sent 13 players, even though FIFA allowed 22. Despite this, many SFA officials traveled with their wives. Scotland lost 1–0 to Austria in their first game. This made manager Andy Beattie quit just hours before the next game against Uruguay. Uruguay were the champions and had never lost a World Cup game. They beat Scotland 7–0.

In the 1958 FIFA World Cup finals, Scotland drew their first game 1–1 against Yugoslavia. But they then lost to Paraguay and France. They were knocked out in the first stage. Matt Busby was supposed to manage the team. But he was badly hurt in the Munich air disaster, so trainer Dawson Walker took over.

Successes in the 1960s

Under manager Ian McColl, Scotland won the British Home Championship two years in a row, in 1962 and 1963. Jock Stein, John Prentice, and Malky MacDonald were all managers for short times. Then Bobby Brown became manager in 1967. Brown's first game was against England, who had just won the 1966 World Cup. Scotland were not expected to win, but they did, 3–2. Goals came from Denis Law, Bobby Lennox, and Jim McCalliog. After beating the world champions on their own field, Scotland fans called their team the "unofficial world champions." Even with this famous win, Scotland did not qualify for any major tournaments in the 1960s.

World Cups in the 1970s

Billy Bremner (right) playing for Scotland against Zaïre at the Westfalenstadion in the 1974 FIFA World Cup.

After Tommy Docherty's short time as manager, Willie Ormond was hired in 1973. Ormond lost his first match 5–0 to England. But he then led Scotland to their first World Cup finals in 16 years, in 1974. At the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, Scotland had their best World Cup performance. The team did not lose any games. However, they failed to get past the group stages because of goal difference. They beat Zaïre, and drew with both Brazil and Yugoslavia. They were knocked out because they had beaten Zaïre by the smallest score.

Scotland chose Ally MacLeod as manager in 1977. At that time, it was not certain if they would qualify for the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina. The team started strong under MacLeod. They won the 1977 British Home Championship, mainly by beating England 2–1 at Wembley. The Scotland fans ran onto the field after the game. They tore up the grass and broke a goalpost. Scotland continued their good form and qualified for the World Cup. They won against Czechoslovakia and Wales.

Before the 1978 FIFA World Cup, MacLeod made the nation very hopeful. He said Scotland would come home with a medal. When the team left for Argentina, they got a huge send-off. They were paraded around a full Hampden Park. Thousands more fans lined the road to Prestwick Airport as the team flew to South America. Scotland lost their first game 3–1 against Peru. They drew their second game 1–1 against new team Iran. The country felt very sad, and TV showed MacLeod looking upset in the dugout.

These results meant Scotland had to beat the Netherlands by three goals to move forward. Even though the Dutch scored first, Scotland fought back to win 3–2. Kenny Dalglish scored one goal, and Archie Gemmill scored two. Gemmill's second goal is seen as one of the greatest World Cup goals ever. He dribbled past three Dutch defenders and chipped the ball over the goalkeeper Jan Jongbloed. The win was not enough to get them to the next round. Scotland was knocked out on goal difference for the second World Cup in a row.

The 1980s: Stein and Ferguson

Alex Ferguson (pictured) was Scotland's manager for a short time after Jock Stein suddenly died in 1985.

MacLeod quit as manager soon after the 1978 World Cup. Jock Stein took over. Stein had won nine league titles in a row and the European Cup with Celtic. After not qualifying for the 1980 European Championship, Scotland qualified for the 1982 FIFA World Cup. They were in a tough group with Sweden, Portugal, Israel, and Northern Ireland. They lost only one match.

Scotland beat New Zealand 5–2 in their first World Cup game. But they lost 4–1 to a strong Brazil team. This Brazil team had famous players like Sócrates, Zico, Eder, and Falcão. Scotland was again knocked out on goal difference after a 2–2 draw with the Soviet Union.

Scotland qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup, their fourth in a row, in a very dramatic way. In their last qualification match against Wales, they needed a draw to get into a playoff against Australia. With only nine minutes left and Wales leading 1–0, Scotland got a penalty kick. Davie Cooper calmly scored it. The 1–1 draw meant Scotland went through. But as players and fans celebrated, Stein had a heart attack and died. His assistant Alex Ferguson took over. Scotland qualified by winning 2–0 against Australia in a two-game playoff. But they were knocked out of the tournament with only one point from three matches. They drew 0–0 with Uruguay after losing to Denmark and West Germany.

In July 1986, Andy Roxburgh was surprisingly named the new manager of Scotland. Scotland did not qualify for Euro 1988. But their 1–0 away win over Bulgaria in November 1987 helped Ireland surprisingly finish first and qualify for the finals.

Four Major Tournaments in the 1990s

Scotland playing against the Netherlands at Villa Park during Euro 1996.

Scotland qualified for their fifth World Cup in a row in 1990. They finished second in their qualifying group, ahead of France. Scotland was in a group with Costa Rica, Sweden, and Brazil. The Scots lost 1–0 to Costa Rica. They bounced back to beat Sweden 2–1 in their second game. But they lost to Brazil 1–0 in their third match. They were again knocked out after the first round.

Scotland narrowly qualified for the UEFA European Championship for the first time in 1992. A 1–0 loss to Romania away from home meant qualification depended on other results. But a 1–1 draw between Bulgaria and Romania in the last group match allowed Scotland to squeeze through. Even though they played well against the Netherlands and Germany, and had a great win against the CIS, the team was knocked out in the group stage. Scotland did not qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. They finished fourth in their qualifying group behind Italy, Switzerland, and Portugal. When it was clear Scotland couldn't qualify, Andy Roxburgh resigned as manager.

New manager Craig Brown successfully led Scotland to the 1996 European Championship. The first game against the Netherlands ended 0–0, which boosted spirits before a highly anticipated game against England at Wembley. Gary McAllister missed a penalty kick, and a goal by Paul Gascoigne led to a 2–0 defeat. Scotland recovered to beat Switzerland 1–0 with a goal by Ally McCoist. England taking a 4–0 lead in the other match briefly put Scotland in a qualifying spot. But a late goal for the Netherlands meant they advanced instead of Scotland, based on goals scored.

Brown again led Scotland to qualify for a major tournament in 1998. Scotland was drawn against Brazil in the opening game of the 1998 World Cup. John Collins scored a penalty to make it 1–1. But an own goal by Tom Boyd led to a 2–1 defeat. Scotland drew their next game 1–1 with Norway. But the final match against Morocco ended in a disappointing 3–0 loss.

During qualification for the 2000 European Championship, Scotland played England in a two-game playoff. The media called it the "Battle of Britain." Scotland won the second match 1–0 with a goal by Don Hutchison. But they lost the overall tie 2–1.

The 2000s: New Managers and Close Calls

Berti Vogts, the only foreign coach Scotland has had so far.

Scotland did not qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. They finished third in their qualifying group behind Croatia and Belgium. This second failure to qualify in a row made Craig Brown resign after the last qualifying match. The SFA hired former Germany manager Berti Vogts to replace Brown. Scotland reached the playoffs for Euro 2004. They beat the Netherlands 1–0 at Hampden Park. But they lost 6–0 in the second game. Poor results in friendly matches and a bad start to the 2006 World Cup qualification caused the team to drop to a record low of 77th in the FIFA World Rankings. Vogts resigned in 2004, saying the media was too critical.

Walter Smith, a former manager of Rangers and Everton, took over from Vogts. Better results meant Scotland moved up the FIFA rankings. They also won the Kirin Cup, a friendly competition in Japan. Scotland did not qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. They finished third in their group behind Italy and Norway. Smith left the national team in January 2007 to go back to Rangers. Scotland was leading their Euro 2008 qualification group at the time. New manager Alex McLeish led Scotland to wins against Georgia, the Faroe Islands, Lithuania, France, and Ukraine. But losses to Georgia and Italy ended their chances of qualifying for Euro 2008. These improved results, especially the wins against France, moved Scotland into the top 20 of the FIFA world rankings.

After just missing out on Euro 2008, McLeish left to join Premier League club Birmingham City. Southampton manager George Burley was hired as the new manager. But he faced criticism after the team lost their first qualifier against Macedonia. After Scotland lost their fourth match 3–0 to the Netherlands, captain Barry Ferguson and goalkeeper Allan McGregor were left out of the next game against Iceland. This was because of a "breach of discipline." Even though they won 2–1 against Iceland, Scotland lost 4–0 to Norway in the next qualifier. This meant Scotland needed to win their last two games to have a real chance of making the playoffs. Scotland beat Macedonia 2–0 in the first of those games. But they were knocked out by a 1–0 loss to the Netherlands in the second game. Burley was allowed to stay after a review by the SFA board. But a later 3–0 friendly loss to Wales led to him being fired.

The 2010s: Missing Out on Tournaments

Gordon Strachan became Scotland manager in January 2013.

The SFA appointed Craig Levein as head coach in December 2009. In UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying, Scotland was in a group with Lithuania, Liechtenstein, the Czech Republic, and world champions Spain. They only got four points from their first four games. This meant the team needed three wins from their last four games to have a good chance of moving forward. They only managed two wins and a draw. They were eliminated after a 3–1 loss to Spain in their last match. Levein left his job after a bad start to 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification. He had only gotten two points from four games.

Gordon Strachan became Scotland manager in January 2013. But losses in his first two competitive matches meant Scotland was the first UEFA team to be knocked out of the 2014 World Cup. Scotland finished their qualifying section by winning three of their last four matches. This included two wins against Croatia.

UEFA Euro 2016 grew from 16 teams to 24. After losing their first qualifier in Germany, Scotland won home games against Georgia, the Republic of Ireland, and Gibraltar. Steven Fletcher scored the first hat-trick for Scotland since 1969 in the game against Gibraltar. Later in the group, Scotland played poorly and lost 1–0 in Georgia. A home loss to Germany and a late goal by Poland that tied the game knocked Scotland out of contention. After a win against Gibraltar in the last qualifier, Strachan agreed to a new contract with the SFA.

In qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Scotland was in the same group as England. They played their rivals in a competitive game for the first time since 1999. On November 11, 2016, England beat Scotland 3–0 at Wembley. In the return match, Leigh Griffiths scored two late free-kicks to give Scotland a 2–1 lead. But Harry Kane scored in added time to make it a 2–2 draw. A draw in Slovenia in the final group game ended Scotland's hopes of a playoff spot. Strachan then left his job by agreement. In February 2018, Alex McLeish was appointed manager for the second time. The team won their group in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League. But McLeish left in April 2019 after a poor start to UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying. This included a 3–0 loss to 117th-ranked Kazakhstan.

The 2020s: Steve Clarke and Euro Qualifications

Scotland playing against Croatia at UEFA Euro 2020.

Steve Clarke became Scotland manager in May 2019. The team did not qualify automatically for UEFA Euro 2020. But they won two penalty shootouts in the playoffs against Israel and Serbia. This put Scotland into their first major tournament since 1998. Losses to the Czech Republic and Croatia, with a 0–0 draw against England in between, meant Scotland finished last in Group D.

Six wins in a row later that year meant Scotland finished second in Group F of 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. This sent the team to the play-offs. They played Ukraine in a semi-final at Hampden, but Scotland lost 3–1. Later that year, Scotland won their Nations League group and moved up to League A.

The Scots started their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with five wins in a row. This included a 2–0 victory over Spain at Hampden. Even though they lost their sixth match, the return game against Spain, they qualified for Euro 2024 with two matches left. This happened after Norway lost 1–0 to Spain. This was the first time they qualified for a major tournament directly from a qualifying group since 1998. Scotland was drawn to play Germany, Switzerland, and Hungary in Group A. They lost 5–1 to Germany in the opening match, drew 1–1 with Switzerland, and lost 1–0 to Hungary. They finished last in the group again. It's thought that about 200,000 Scotland fans traveled to Euro 2024.

Scotland's Home Stadium

Hampden Park, the main home ground for the Scotland national football team.

Hampden Park in Glasgow is the traditional home of the Scotland team. The SFA calls it the National Stadium. The current stadium is one of three stadiums that have used the name. Stadiums called Hampden Park have hosted international matches since 1878. The current stadium opened in 1903. It became the main home ground for the Scotland team from 1906. The record attendance of 149,415 was set during the Scotland vs. England match in 1937. Safety rules reduced the capacity to 81,000 by 1977. The stadium was completely rebuilt in the 1990s, giving it the current capacity of 52,000. Hampden is rated as a Category Four (elite) stadium by UEFA.

Some friendly matches are played at smaller stadiums. Pittodrie Stadium in Aberdeen and Easter Road in Edinburgh were used in 2017. Other stadiums were also used when Hampden was being rebuilt in the 1990s. Celtic Park, Ibrox Stadium, Pittodrie Stadium, and Rugby Park all hosted matches during the 1998 World Cup qualifying games. Tynecastle Stadium, Pittodrie, Celtic Park, and Ibrox Stadium were used for Euro 2000 qualifying matches. Since Hampden was finished in 1999, Scotland has played most of their competitive matches there. The most recent exception was in 2014. Hampden was temporarily changed into an athletics stadium for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The SFA bought Hampden from Queen's Park in 2020. All of Scotland's home games have been played there since then.

How to Watch Scotland Games

Most matches played by Scotland are currently shown on the streaming service Viaplay. They bought the rights for Scotland games from 2024 to 2028. Viaplay announced in July 2023 that it would stop serving the UK market. This meant Scotland games during the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League were shown on ITV4 and YouTube.

The decision to show Scotland matches on subscription services was criticized in 2008 by the Scottish Government. They argued that all important international matches should be a Listed Event. This means they should only be shown on free-to-air television. Live coverage is only restricted during major tournament finals. These are usually shown on BBC Scotland or STV. The SFA has said that limiting the rights for other games, like qualifying matches, would reduce the money they get from those deals.

The Scottish Affairs Committee of MPs in the British House of Commons released a report in 2023. They asked for more cooperation between companies that own broadcasting rights. They also pointed out that qualifying matches for England and Wales get more coverage on free-to-air television. Two friendly matches in 2024 were shown on the BBC, thanks to an agreement with Viaplay.

Sky Sports, BBC Scotland, STV, Setanta Sports, Channel 5, BT Sport, and Premier Sports are some other networks that have shown Scotland games before. Sky Sports chose to show the Euro 2020 playoff against Serbia on their Pick channel, which was available on Freeview. All matches are also broadcast with full commentary on BBC Radio Scotland. When schedules allow, BBC Radio 5 Live also broadcasts them.

Team Colours and Kits

Tartan-style kit with blue shorts worn at UEFA Euro 1996.

Scotland usually wears dark blue shirts with white shorts and dark blue socks. These are the colours of the Queen's Park team, who played for Scotland in the first international match. The blue Scotland shirt was first used in a rugby international in February 1872. Reports said "the scotch were easily distinguishable by their uniform of blue jerseys.... the jerseys having the thistle embroidered." The thistle had been worn before to represent Scotland in the 1871 rugby international, but on brown shirts. The shirt has a crest (badge) on it. This crest is based on the lion rampant from the Royal Standard of Scotland.

Another style Scotland often uses has blue shirts, white shorts, and red socks. Some kits have also used navy shorts and socks. Navy is often used as an alternative colour for shorts and socks when Scotland plays a team that has the same colours for these items. This happens even when the home shirt is still suitable.

Scotland players, including Andrew Watson (top centre), wearing a light blue-and-white striped jersey in 1882.

Away kit colours change, but are most often white or yellow shirts with blue shorts. In 2016–17, Scotland wore pink shirts with black shorts and socks as their away kit. This kit was also used in one home match against Slovakia. This was because both of Slovakia's kits clashed with Scotland's home kit, which had white sleeves. Third kits have been made twice. Amber shirts, navy shorts, and navy socks were used in 2005–06. This was because the alternative sky blue shirts were not suitable when Scotland played teams wearing any shade of blue shirt. An all 'cherry red' kit was used only once against Georgia in the Euro 2008 qualifiers in 2007.

From 1994 to 1996, a tartan kit was used. This kit was worn in all three of Scotland's matches at UEFA Euro 1996.

Scotland has not always played in dark blue. Sometimes, between 1881 and 1951, they wore the primrose and pink racing colours of Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery. Lord Rosebery was a former Prime Minister. He was also an important person in Scottish football. He was the honorary President of the SFA and the Edinburgh team Hearts. His colours were used most often in the early 1900s. When Scotland beat England 4–1 in 1900, Lord Rosebery said, "I have never seen my colours so well sported since Ladas won the Derby." Rosebery's colours were brought back as an away kit for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying matches.

The current version of the crest is a round shape, similar to the one used from 1961 to 1988. It has a shield inside. "Scotland" is written at the top, and "Est 1873" is at the bottom. In the background of the shield, there are 11 thistles. The thistle is the national flower of Scotland. There is also the lion rampant. Since 2005, the SFA has supported using Scottish Gaelic on the national team's uniform. This is to recognize the language's importance in Scotland.

Kit supplier	Period
None	1872–1953
Umbro	1953–2000
Fila	2000–2003
Diadora	2003–2010
Adidas	2010–

Scotland's Supporters: The Tartan Army

"The Tartan Army" in Milan in 2005, before their 2006 World Cup qualifying match against Italy.

Scotland fans are known as the Tartan Army. In the 1970s, Scotland fans were sometimes known for hooliganism in England. This was especially true after they ran onto the Wembley pitch and destroyed the goalposts after the England vs. Scotland match in 1977. Since then, the Tartan Army has won awards from UEFA. They are recognized for their loud support, friendly nature, and charity work. The Tartan Army has received a Fair Play prize from the Belgian Olympic Committee. They were also named the best supporters during the 1992 European Championship. The fans were also given a trophy for non-violence in sport. Journalists voted them the best supporters for their fair play and sportsmanship at the 1998 World Cup in France.

Coaching the Scotland Team

Steve Clarke, the current Scotland manager (pictured in 2019).

The job of a team manager started in May 1954. Andy Beattie was in charge for six matches before and during the 1954 FIFA World Cup. Before that, a special SFA committee chose the team. After the tournament, the committee took control again until Matt Busby was appointed in 1958. Busby couldn't start right away because of serious injuries he got in the Munich air disaster.

Twenty-four different men have been managers since the role began. Beattie, Jock Stein, and Alex McLeish each had two turns as manager. Six of those managers were temporary (caretaker) managers. Craig Brown held the job for the longest time. He was manager for 9 years, including two major tournaments, and managed 71 matches. Beattie (1954), Dawson Walker (1958), Willie Ormond (1974), Ally MacLeod (1978), Jock Stein (1982), Alex Ferguson (1986), Andy Roxburgh (1990 and 1992), Brown (1996 and 1998), and Steve Clarke (2020) have all managed the team at big competitions. Ian McColl, Ormond, and MacLeod all won the British Home Championship on their own.

German coach Berti Vogts became the first foreign manager of the team in 2002. But his time in charge was generally seen as a failure. The FIFA World Ranking dropped to its lowest ever, 88th, in March 2005. Walter Smith and Alex McLeish got better results. The ranking improved to its highest ever, 13th, in October 2007. But both were only in charge for a short time before going back to managing clubs. George Burley and Craig Levein both had worse results and were eventually fired. Results got a bit better under Gordon Strachan, but he couldn't get the team to qualify for a tournament. After McLeish had a second time as manager, Steve Clarke was appointed in May 2019. Clarke led the team to qualify for Euro 2020, their first major competition since 1998, and Euro 2024.

Current Coaching Staff

Scotland's Players

Current Team Squad

The players listed below were chosen for the UEFA Nations League matches against Croatia and Poland in November 2024.

Caps (games played) and goals are updated as of November 18, 2024, after the match against Poland. Clubs are correct as of September 12, 2024.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Craig Gordon	(1982-12-31) 31 December 1982 (age 42)	79	0	Heart of Midlothian
12	1GK	Cieran Slicker	(2002-09-15) 15 September 2002 (age 22)	0	0	Ipswich Town
21	1GK	Robby McCrorie	(1998-03-18) 18 March 1998 (age 27)	0	0	Kilmarnock
2	2DF	Anthony Ralston	(1998-11-16) 16 November 1998 (age 26)	18	1	Celtic
3	2DF	Andrew Robertson (captain)	(1994-03-11) 11 March 1994 (age 31)	80	4	Liverpool
5	2DF	Grant Hanley	(1991-11-20) 20 November 1991 (age 33)	59	2	Norwich City
6	2DF	John Souttar	(1996-09-25) 25 September 1996 (age 28)	12	1	Rangers
13	2DF	Jack Hendry	(1995-05-07) 7 May 1995 (age 30)	34	3	Al-Ettifaq
15	2DF	Greg Taylor	(1997-11-05) 5 November 1997 (age 27)	14	0	Celtic
16	2DF	Scott McKenna	(1996-11-12) 12 November 1996 (age 28)	40	1	Las Palmas
22	2DF	Nicky Devlin	(1993-10-17) 17 October 1993 (age 31)	2	0	Aberdeen
24	2DF	Ryan Porteous	(1999-03-25) 25 March 1999 (age 26)	12	1	Watford
4	3MF	Scott McTominay	(1996-12-08) 8 December 1996 (age 28)	58	11	Napoli
7	3MF	John McGinn	(1994-10-18) 18 October 1994 (age 30)	73	20	Aston Villa
8	3MF	Billy Gilmour	(2001-06-11) 11 June 2001 (age 24)	36	2	Napoli
11	3MF	Ryan Christie	(1995-02-22) 22 February 1995 (age 30)	58	7	Bournemouth
14	3MF	Connor Barron	(2002-08-29) 29 August 2002 (age 22)	0	0	Rangers
17	3MF	Stuart Armstrong	(1992-03-30) 30 March 1992 (age 33)	53	5	Vancouver Whitecaps
18	3MF	Ben Doak	(2005-11-11) 11 November 2005 (age 19)	6	0	Middlesbrough
20	3MF	Ryan Gauld	(1995-12-16) 16 December 1995 (age 29)	6	0	Vancouver Whitecaps
23	3MF	Kenny McLean	(1992-01-08) 8 January 1992 (age 33)	48	2	Norwich City
9	4FW	Lyndon Dykes	(1995-10-07) 7 October 1995 (age 29)	42	9	Birmingham City
10	4FW	Lawrence Shankland	(1995-08-10) 10 August 1995 (age 29)	16	3	Heart of Midlothian
19	4FW	Tommy Conway	(2002-08-06) 6 August 2002 (age 22)	3	0	Middlesbrough

Players Called Up Recently

The following players have also been chosen for Scotland in the last twelve months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Jon McCracken	(2000-05-24) 24 May 2000 (age 25)	0	0	Dundee	v.  Portugal, 15 October 2024
GK	Angus GunnINJ	(1996-01-22) 22 January 1996 (age 29)	15	0	Norwich City	v.  Croatia, 12 October 2024
GK	Zander Clark	(1992-06-26) 26 June 1992 (age 32)	4	0	Heart of Midlothian	v.  Portugal, 8 September 2024
GK	Liam Kelly	(1996-01-23) 23 January 1996 (age 29)	1	0	Rangers	UEFA Euro 2024
DF	Liam Lindsay	(1995-10-12) 12 October 1995 (age 29)	0	0	Preston North End	v.  Portugal, 15 October 2024
DF	Jack MacKenzie	(2000-04-07) 7 April 2000 (age 25)	0	0	Aberdeen	v.  Portugal, 15 October 2024
DF	Josh Doig	(2002-05-18) 18 May 2002 (age 23)	0	0	Sassuolo	v.  Portugal, 8 September 2024
DF	Max Johnston	(2003-12-26) 26 December 2003 (age 21)	0	0	Sturm Graz	v.  Portugal, 8 September 2024
DF	Kieran Tierney	(1997-06-05) 5 June 1997 (age 28)	47	1	Arsenal	UEFA Euro 2024
DF	Liam Cooper	(1991-08-30) 30 August 1991 (age 33)	19	0	CSKA Sofia	UEFA Euro 2024
DF	Ross McCrorie	(1998-03-18) 18 March 1998 (age 27)	1	0	Bristol City	UEFA Euro 2024
DF	Nathan Patterson	(2001-10-16) 16 October 2001 (age 23)	21	1	Everton	v.  Northern Ireland, 26 March 2024
MF	Lewis MorganINJ	(1996-09-30) 30 September 1996 (age 28)	7	0	New York Red Bulls	v.  Croatia, 15 November 2024
MF	Andy Irving	(2000-05-13) 13 May 2000 (age 25)	0	0	West Ham United	v.  Portugal, 15 October 2024
MF	James ForrestINJ	(1991-07-07) 7 July 1991 (age 33)	39	5	Celtic	v.  Croatia, 12 October 2024
MF	Ryan Jack	(1992-02-27) 27 February 1992 (age 33)	20	0	Esenler Erokspor	UEFA Euro 2024
MF	Lewis Ferguson	(1999-08-24) 24 August 1999 (age 25)	12	0	Bologna	v.  Northern Ireland, 26 March 2024
FW	Ché AdamsINJ	(1996-07-13) 13 July 1996 (age 28)	35	6	Torino	v.  Croatia, 15 November 2024
FW	Kevin Nisbet	(1997-03-08) 8 March 1997 (age 28)	11	1	Aberdeen	v.  Portugal, 15 October 2024
INJ Player withdrew from the squad for that game due to injury RET Player has retired from the national team / playing football

Honoured Players

The Scottish Football Association has a special list called the roll of honour. It includes every player who has played more than 50 games for Scotland. As of June 2024, there are 39 players on this list. Scott McTominay and Ryan Christie are the newest additions. Because the rule is 50 games, many famous Scotland players are not on the roll of honour. This includes Jim Baxter, Davie Cooper, Hughie Gallacher (and all other players before World War II), Archie Gemmill, John Greig, Jimmy Johnstone, Billy McNeill, Bobby Murdoch, and Lawrie Reilly.

The Scottish Football Museum has a hall of fame. It is open to players and managers who have been involved in Scottish football. This means that you don't have to have played for Scotland to be in it. Famous players like Brian Laudrup and Henrik Larsson are in it, even though they are not Scottish. John McGovern is also in it, even though he never played in Scotland or for the national team. Sportscotland also has the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame, which has included some footballers.

Scotland's Football Records

Kenny Dalglish scored a joint record 30 goals in a record 102 international appearances.

Kenny Dalglish holds the record for most games played for Scotland. He played 102 times between 1971 and 1986. He is the only Scotland player to have played 100 games. Jim Leighton is second, with 91 games. This is a Scottish record for a goalkeeper. The title of Scotland's highest goalscorer is shared by two players. Denis Law scored 30 goals between 1958 and 1974, playing 55 games. Kenny Dalglish scored the same number of goals in 102 games. Hughie Gallacher is the third highest scorer. He is also the most effective, scoring 24 goals in only 20 games (averaging 1.2 goals per game).

The biggest win for a Scotland team was 11–0 against Ireland in the 1901 British Home Championship. The biggest loss happened during the 1954 FIFA World Cup. They lost 7–0 to the reigning world champions Uruguay.

Scotland's 1937 British Home Championship match against England set a new world record for football attendance. The crowd at Hampden Park was officially 149,415. However, the real number is unknown because many more fans got in without tickets. This attendance record was broken 13 years later by the decisive match of the 1950 FIFA World Cup. But it is still a European record.

Scotland in Major Tournaments

FIFA World Cup Appearances

Scotland did not play in the first three World Cup competitions, held in 1930, 1934, and 1938. FIFA said that all its member associations had to pay players for their time off work to play in the football at the 1928 Summer Olympics. The football associations of Scotland, England, Ireland, and Wales disagreed. They decided to leave FIFA. The Scottish Football Association did not rejoin FIFA permanently until 1946. The SFA chose not to play in the 1950 FIFA World Cup, even though they had qualified. This was because Scotland was not the British champions.

Scotland has since qualified for eight World Cup tournaments. This includes five tournaments in a row from 1974 to 1990. Scotland has never made it past the first round of the finals. No other country has qualified for so many World Cups without getting past the first round. They have missed out on moving to the second round three times because of goal difference: in 1974, when Brazil just beat them; in 1978, when the Netherlands went through; and in 1982, when the Soviet Union advanced.

FIFA World Cup record		Qualification record
Year		Round	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Position
1930		Not a FIFA member							Not a FIFA member
1934
1938
1950		Qualified but withdrew							3	2	0	1	10	3	2nd / 4
1954		Group stage	2	0	0	2	0	8	3	1	1	1	8	8	2nd / 4
1958			3	0	1	2	4	6	4	3	0	1	10	9	1st / 3
1962		Did not qualify							5	3	0	2	12	11	2nd / 3
1966									6	3	1	2	8	8	2nd / 4
1970									6	3	1	2	18	7	2nd / 4
1974		Group stage	3	1	2	0	3	1	4	3	0	1	8	3	1st / 3
1978			3	1	1	1	5	6	4	3	0	1	6	3	1st / 3
1982			3	1	1	1	8	8	8	4	3	1	9	4	1st / 5
1986			3	0	1	2	1	3	8	4	2	2	10	4	2nd / 4
1990			3	1	0	2	2	3	8	4	2	2	12	12	2nd / 5
1994		Did not qualify							10	4	3	3	14	13	4th / 6
1998		Group stage	3	0	1	2	2	6	10	7	2	1	15	3	2nd / 6
2002		Did not qualify							8	4	3	1	12	6	3rd / 5
2006									10	3	4	3	9	7	3rd / 6
2010									8	3	1	4	6	11	3rd / 5
2014									10	3	2	5	8	12	4th / 6
2018									10	5	3	2	17	12	3rd / 6
2022									11	7	2	2	18	10	2nd / 6
2026		To be determined							To be determined
2030
2034
Totals		8/22	23	4	7	12	25	41	136	69	30	37	210	146	—

Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out; correct as of 1 June 2022 after the match against Ukraine.

UEFA European Championship Appearances

Scotland has qualified for four European Championships. However, they have not been able to get past the first round. Their most recent time playing was at Euro 2024.

UEFA European Championship record		Qualification record
Year		Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Position
1960		Did not enter								Did not enter
1964
1968		Did not qualify								6	3	2	1	10	8	2nd / 4
1972										6	3	0	3	4	7	3rd / 4
1976										6	2	3	1	8	6	3rd / 4
1980										8	3	1	4	15	13	4th / 5
1984										6	1	2	3	8	10	4th / 4
1988										8	3	3	2	7	5	4th / 5
1992		Group stage	5th	3	1	0	2	3	3	8	4	3	1	14	7	1st / 5
1996			12th	3	1	1	1	1	2	10	7	2	1	19	3	2nd / 6
2000		Did not qualify								12	6	3	3	16	12	2nd / 6
2004										10	5	2	3	13	14	2nd / 5
2008										12	8	0	4	21	12	3rd / 7
2012										8	3	2	3	9	10	3rd / 5
2016										10	4	3	3	22	12	4th / 6
2020		Group stage	22nd	3	0	1	2	1	5	12	5	2	5	17	20	3rd / 6
2024			24th	3	0	1	2	2	7	8	5	2	1	17	8	2nd / 5
2028		To be determined								Qualified as hosts
2032										To be determined
Totals		Group stage	4/17	12	2	3	7	7	17	130	62	30	38	200	147	—

Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out; correct as of 23 June 2024 after the match against Hungary.

UEFA Nations League Performance

When the UEFA Nations League started in 2018–19, Scotland was placed in League C. With a 3–2 win against Israel in their last match, Scotland earned promotion to League B for the 2020–21 competition.

Scotland won promotion to League A in their final match of the 2022–23 competition. This was a 0–0 draw against Ukraine in Kraków.

UEFA Nations League record
Season	Division	Group	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	P/R	Rank
2018–19	C	1	4	3	0	1	10	4		25th
2020–21	B	2	6	3	1	2	5	4		23rd
2022–23	B	1	6	4	1	1	11	5		20th
2024–25	A	1	6	2	1	3	7	8	To be determined
Totals			22	12	3	7	33	21	20th

Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks; correct as of 18 November 2024, after the match against Poland.

Team Honours and Awards

Regional Competitions

• British Home Championship
  • Champions (41)
    • Won outright (24): 1884, 1885, 1887, 1889, 1894, 1896, 1897, 1900, 1902, 1910, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1929, 1935, 1936, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1962, 1963, 1967, 1976, 1977
    • Shared (17): 1886, 1890, 1903, 1906, 1908, 1912, 1927, 1931, 1935, 1939, 1953, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1970, 1972, 1974

Friendly Competitions

• Rous Cup
  • Champions (1): 1985
• Kirin Cup
  • Champions (1): 2006
• Qatar Airways Cup
  • Champions (1): 2015

The United Kingdom Team

Scotland has always played by itself in most major football tournaments, like the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship. At the Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee rules only allow a Great Britain Olympic football team to compete. This team represents the whole of the United Kingdom. Teams of amateur players represented Great Britain at the Olympics from 1900 until 1972. But the FA stopped entering a team after that. This was because the difference between amateur and professional players was removed.

When London successfully bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics, the FA looked into how a team could be entered. The SFA said they would not take part. They worried that this would put the Scotland national team's independent status at risk. FIFA President Sepp Blatter said this was not true. But the SFA was still concerned that a future President might have a different view. An agreement was made in May 2009. It said the FA could organize a team using only players who qualified for England. But this was challenged by the British Olympic Association. In the end, only English and Welsh players were chosen for the men's team. However, two Scottish players were chosen for the women's team.

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Escocia para niños