When does the World Cup start, when do Scotland play and who are their pre-tournament friendlies against?
Here is everything you need to know about World Cup 2026 ahead of the summer tournament in North America.
World Cup 2026 is just under two weeks away from getting under way and tournament fever is alive and well in Scotland.
Ever since sealing their place in North America with a dramatic 4-2 win over Denmark in November, fans have been counting down the days until the World Cup starts across the pond, with the Tartan Army expected to arrive in the United States in their thousands over the coming days.
Aiming to qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament for the first time in Scotland’s history, the United States will be awash with kilt-clad supporters as Steve Clarke’s men return to the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
The 23rd edition of the World Cup is the largest yet, with a total of 48 nations taking part. The ninth time Scotland have been in the competition, they’ll be hoping for an improvement on their record of played 23, won four, drawn seven and lost 12.
So whether you are heading to the tournament in June or simply watching from the comfort of, this is everything you need to know about Scotland’s participation in the 2026 World Cup:
Who is hosting World Cup 2026?
For the first time in the tournament’s history, the World Cup will take place across three different countries, with the games set to take place in the United States, Mexico and Canada across 16 different stadiums.
The cities chosen for the games are as follows:
- United States: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco Bay Area
- Mexico: Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey
- Canada: Toronto, Vancouver
When does the World Cup 2026 start?
The tournament will begin on Thursday 11 June 2026 in Coyoacan, Mexico City with tournament co-hosts Mexico facing South Africa. The game will kick off at 8pm UK time and takes place at the Banorte Stadium. The group stages will last until Sunday 28 June 2026.
The tournament lasts for almost five weeks with the final set to take place on Sunday 19 July 2026 at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States.
World Cup Groups
- Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czechia
- Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
- Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti
- Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkiye
- Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
- Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
- Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
- Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia
- Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
- Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
- Group K: Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia
- Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
When do Scotland play next?
Ahead of tournament getting underway, Scotland will have played two pre-World Cup friendlies, beginning with a 4-1 win over Curacao on May 30. The national team’s next fixture is as follows:
- June 6 - Bolivia v Scotland, 9pm UK time (Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison, United States)
Scotland World Cup 2026 fixtures
Scotland have played in Group C of the World Cup, and pitted against Haiti, Morocco and Brazil. Here are the dates, times and locations of their of their group fixtures. All kick-off times are UK based.
- June 14 - Scotland v Haiti, 2am (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States)
- June 19 - Scotland v Morocco, 11pm (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States)
- June 24- Scotland v Brazil, 11pm (The Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, United States)
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.