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Scotland World Cup 2026: 28 years…

Brazil 2–1 Scotland. 10 June 1998. Twenty-eight years ago – the last time we played a match at a World Cup. Back then, Brazil and Morocco were in our group. Fast forward to this summer… and they’re there again. Some things just feel written.

The real question is what has actually changed between 1998 and 2026?

I had just turned two back then. In just less than two months, I turn 30… on the day we face Morocco.

Maybe that’s the story. Not just of a team – but of a generation that’s grown, waited, and is finally ready to come back.

In 28 years there have been major global events too:

Major Global Events

  • 9/11
  • The Global Financial Crisis
  • COVID-19
  • Brexit
  • AI
  • World War 3 (?)
  • Millenium Bug

Tech & Digital Revolution

  • Nokias, not iPhones existed in 1998
  • Google was only just founded ( I’m not that much older than Google)
  • YouTube, Facebook and Tik Tok all came after
  • Streaming replaced TV – Netflix replaced your cassette players and DVDs to become a global force
  • And now: AI tools like ChatGPT are changing how people work and create

Football Evolution

  • The UEFA Champions league became a global spectacle
  • Ronaldo and Messi became the two GOATS even though Ronaldo won his first ballon d’or in just 2008
  • VAR wasn’t introduced
  • Football became more than just statistics

Entertainment & Culture

  • Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone launched a global franchise
  • The Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t exist – now it dominates cinema
  • Game of Thrones became iconic
  • Gaming evolved from Spyro to massive online worlds like Fortnite

Generational Shift

  • People born in 1998 are now in their late 20s
  • An entire generation has grown up never seeing Scotland at a World Cup
  • Some fans have lived their whole lives waiting

UK / Scotland

  • Devolution happened – Scottish Parliament opened in 1999
  • Multiple Prime Ministers have come and gone
  • Scotland became the first nation to reject its own independence in 2014

Scotland fans have been through a lot.

Making this video’s been interesting, to say the least – because in a way, it’s about generational trauma. It’s about what gets passed down.

And if you know Scotland, you know the heartache.

There was Scotland vs Italy 2007 at Hampden – when Alan Hutton was judged to have fouled, and Christian Panucci scored that last-minute winner. We could’ve qualified. We were robbed.

That’s the thing about generational trauma – it’s easy to focus on the negative, especially when that’s what you’re used to. Bad moments stack up. They shape how you think, how you feel, what you expect.

And I’ve felt that. I still do sometimes. A negative mindset doesn’t lead to a happy life – but unlearning that isn’t easy. I know I won’t be the only one. I really should take my own advice.

But it wasn’t all pain.

I’ll never forget when Barry Ferguson made it 1–1 against Italy in that very same game in 07. The feeling in that moment… it was pure belief. We’d just equalised against the world champions – and for a second, it felt like anything was possible.

Then there was Gary Caldwell putting us 1–0 up against France at Hampden. And James McFadden scoring that ridiculous 35-yard screamer in Paris.

We beat France home and away who were the second best team in the World. Twice. Some considered them the best even though they got beat in the World Cup in 2006 to Italy.

How mental is that?

Those are some of the fondest memories of my life. Not just because of the football – but because of who I shared them with. My Granny and Grandpa were still here. When I think of Scotland, I think of them.

And now… qualifying for the World Cup feels like more than just football. It feels like something they would’ve been proud of. Something every past generation would’ve been proud of – people like Walter Smith and Craig Brown.

I don’t know if there’s an afterlife. But it feels like they’ll be watching.

After all the years of disappointment… it finally feels like we’ve broken something. We’ve qualified for tournaments before, but this—this feels different. Like the curse is gone.

But that’s the thing. When you start thinking like that, it can become a problem. Because sometimes, we are our own worst enemy.

Still… this moment matters.

The world feels heavy right now. Divided. Complicated.

And Scotland being back at the World Cup – since 1998 FIFA World Cup – feels like a reminder of something simpler. Something more innocent.

Maybe that’s what we can bring.

At the Euros in Germany, Scotland fans were everywhere – from 9 in the morning to closing time. No trouble. Just noise, passion, and togetherness. I even saw we were voted among the best fans at the tournament.

That’s who we are.

And maybe now, we’ve got a chance to remind the world of that. To be a bit of light in a dark tunnel.

Not by trying to be anything else but our natural selves!

C’MON SCOTLAND!