Scotland are in an extremely challenging World Cup qualifying group, as their place as an elite nation in the Nations League hangs in the balance. Steve Clarke will face Portugal and Denmark for two-legged play-offs next March as well as Greece.
On eight occasions, England have made it through to the finals of the World Cup tournament, but have never managed to advance past the first round – after beating Zaire in 1974 they were ultimately knocked out due to goal difference. In this article, we will discuss the Scotland National Football Team Standings and other five teams of national level.
1. England National Football Team
As one of the two oldest national football teams in the world, Scotland and England share an intense rivalry that dates back to 1872 when they met for their inaugural international match – it lasted every year up until 1989! Scotland have won 11 out of 19 meetings against England with the most recent match ending in a goalless draw at Hampden in October 2023.
Scotland has long made reaching the World Cup one of its main goals, and they look set to do it in 2026 after being drawn against Greece, Belarus and either Portugal or Denmark in their qualifying group. The winner will qualify automatically while any runners-up will face Germany or Northern Ireland in a two-legged play-off match-up.
Scottish National Team have qualified for eight finals tournaments since 1974 under Craig Brown’s guidance, including five in a row from 1974-1990 under their record five consecutive participation streak. Unfortunately, they have never progressed beyond the initial round – as evidenced by an opening match defeat to Argentina at 1978 World Cup Cordoba; as a result Alec Vogts was booed off the pitch by crowd, with coach Dawson Walker taking charge and leading them to 1-1 draws with Brazil and then Paraguay respectively.
Scotland drew with Italy in their next match before losing out to Colombia at the same stage – their fifth straight exit from competition. Vogts left his managerial role shortly afterwards, and Rangers boss Walter Smith was brought on board to improve results. Scotland improved significantly and made it all the way to Kirin Cup final 2007, while McLeish’s impressive run of results helped propel them into the top 20 FIFA rankings.
2. Portugal National Football Team
Portugal National Football Team represents Portugal at international association football competitions organized by Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Portugal have qualified for eight FIFA World Cup tournaments and four UEFA European Championship tournaments since 1950; unfortunately they have never advanced beyond first group stage at either competition.
Scotland have enjoyed great competitive success throughout their history. Under Jock Stein they reached the 1966 FIFA World Cup final and lost to Brazil; under Gordon Strachan they made it all the way through to the semi-finals where they drew with eventual champions Argentina but ultimately defeated Netherlands; since then however they have failed to make another quarter-final and only competed once at a major tournament final;
Scotland has had an unsuccessful season in International Friendlies this season with only 2 wins, 3 draws, and 5 losses to show for it. Their home form is decent while away form has been poor.
Scotland boasts various football stadiums, with Hampden Park serving as its primary venue since being acquired from Queen’s Park by the Scottish FA in 2020; however, some major competitions were played at Rugby Park, Celtic Park, Pittodrie Stadium, and Easter Road during redevelopment efforts of Hampden in the 90s.
The Scottish FA maintains a Roll of Honour to recognize those players who have made 50 or more appearances for Scotland since June 2024, including Scott McTominay and Ryan Christie – two recent additions – who have appeared 50 or more times for Scotland national team. Unfortunately, this list excludes players who have died or reached at least once but not 50-cap milestone. It also excludes pre-World War 2 Scottish footballers and certain who were eligible for England due to racial discrimination issues.
3. Denmark National Football Team
The Scottish Football Association maintains a roll of honour for players who have made 50 or more appearances for Scotland national team, such as legendary figures Jim Baxter, Davie Cooper, Hughie Gallacher (and every player before World War 2) and Archie Gemmill. Only 39 players have achieved this prestigious recognition thus far – Scott McTominay and Ryan Christie recently becoming members.
National team qualification includes eight FIFA World Cups and four UEFA European Championships; however, they have never progressed beyond the first group stage at any major tournament. One notable victory came against 1966 World Cup runner-up England at Wembley Stadium with Gemmill scoring what many consider one of the greatest goals ever seen at Wembley in 1967 3-2 win; some experts regard his goal as one of the greatest ever scored at any World Cup tournament!
Gordon Strachan promised to lead Scotland back into international prominence when he took over as manager, yet they failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup by finishing bottom of their qualification group with no wins and just one goal scored.
Scotland’s qualification for Euro 2020 was an outstanding feat, reigniting their nation’s footballing spirit while reinvigorating the Scottish Football Association with renewed purpose and flag and motto relaunches. This boost to confidence can be seen within their current squad – especially young stars such as Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney, Manchester United’s Scott McTominay and Aston Villa’s John McGinn; all alongside more experienced stalwarts such as Steven Gerrard who will help to shape its future success.
4. Greece National Football Team
Greece has won four UEFA European Championships since 2004, the latest of which came in 2004. Since then, they have not qualified for finals tournaments and only made it past round 16 in each subsequent tournament, leaving them at an inauspicious position in world rankings.
Greece are currently ranked 37th by FIFA.
At their most recent qualifying campaign, Georgia found themselves drawn with Turkey, Ukraine, Denmark, Albania and Georgia in Group F. Although they began by suffering two defeats to Albania and Turkey early on in the tournament, Georgia went on to win all remaining matches (including an impressive 2-0 win over Georgia) but could not qualify for round two due to an inadequate goal differential.
In the 1970s and 80s, Scotland were often held up as unofficial world champions due to their success at Home Nations championship. Scotland won their inaugural Home Nations competition against England at Wembley Stadium and later qualified for multiple World Cup tournaments.
At the latter half of this decade, Scotland achieved some outstanding performances to reach the quarter-finals of both UEFA Euro 2012 and 2014 tournaments, finishing in the top 20 world rankings for all but four months – which made them one of the best teams not making it to World Cup finals. Many of their finest players are listed on a roll of honour but there is minimum appearance requirement of 50 games before someone is considered among Scotland’s greatest ever players.
5. Norway National Football Team
Scotland’s national football team represents Scotland as an independent nation located in Northern Europe. Competing in FIFA events such as World Cup, European Championship and Nations League. Established by Scottish Football Association (SFA) shortly after first international match was played.
The Scottish Football Association maintains a roll of honour for players who have appeared in 50 or more international team games for Scotland since 1971; Kenny Dalglish holds the record with 102 appearances between 1971 and 1986, as compiled by Denis Law as leading goal scorer.
From its inception in the early 1970s, Scotland has historically struggled in international friendlies against teams from other nations. Recently however, Scotland’s national football team has seen marked improvements and reached the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 1996 tournament – where they lost to Italy on penalties.
In 2021, the SFA published “The Men Who Made Scotland?” This book included all Scottish international footballers who played from 1872-1939 – many were previously misattributed or absent altogether; thus it has become widely seen as the definitive Who’s Who of Scottish internationals from that era and can now be purchased at all good bookstores. Steve Clarke took over management of Scotland national team after Gordon Strachan left in January 2013, currently supported by Umbro (since 1996).
