Who can Scotland face in 2026 World Cup qualifying and when does the draw take place? Format, pots + key dates

The Tartan Army will soon find out their route to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Fans need little reminder that it is now nearly three decades since Scotland last made it to a World Cup - and it is also worth noting that as many as seven members of Steve Clarke’s latest squad weren’t even alive to experience John Collins iconic equalising penalty against Brazil back in 1998.

Since then it’s been a story of heartbreak in failed campaigns in Korea and Japan 2002, Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and most recently Qatar 2022 where Scotland were beaten in the play-offs by Ukraine.

However, belief of ending that barren run is at an all-time high heading into this week’s draw after an encouraging end to the Nations League campaign and successful qualification campaigns in the run-up to the last two European Championships in 2021 and 2024.

Clarke’s group boast arguably their strongest team in years, with the likes of John McGinn, Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Ferguson and Andrew Robertson all thriving in the Champions League.

But when is the World Cup qualification draw and who are Scotland likely to face? Here’s everything you need to know...

When is the draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers?

The draw for the European section of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers is scheduled for Friday 13 December. It’s scheduled to take place in Zurich, Switzerland and is expected to get underway at around 11am (UK time).

How to watch the 2026 World Cup qualification draw

The draw for the European section of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers takes place live on FIFA’s website and FIFA+.

Who are Scotland likely to face in qualification?

Scotland have been placed in pot three which means they will go head-to-head with one team from pot one, pot two and pot four. And potentially a team from pot five as they bid to reach the finals.

Here is a full list of the European nations competing for a place at the 2026 World Cup:

Pot 1: France, Spain, England, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Croatia, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria

Pot 2: Ukraine, Sweden, Türkiye, Wales, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Romania, Greece, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Norway

Pot 3: SCOTLAND, Slovenia, Republic of Ireland, Albania, North Macedonia, Georgia, Finland, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel

Pot 4: Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Belarus, Kosovo, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Lithuania

Pot 5: Moldova, Malta, Andorra, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, San Marino

How many European teams qualify for the 2026 World Cup?

In total, 16 UEFA nations will qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The 12 group winners will automatically advance to the tournament while the four remaining places will be decided via the play-offs.

How the play-off format works for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers

The 12 group runners-up will participate in the play-offs, along with the four best-ranked group winners of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League that did not finish their European Qualifiers group stage in first or second place.

Those sixteen teams will be split into four play-off paths with four teams in each playing a single leg semi-final and a single leg final. These will take place in the March international break of the 2025/26 season.

What are players thoughts ahead of the draw?

Vancouver Whitecaps star Ryan Gauld is adamant the Scots won’t fear anyone in the draw as they are a team on the rise. He admitted: “We showed during the Euros qualifying what this team are capable of by beating Spain at home and Norway away.

“The guys have shown we can get good results against really good teams and i don’t think we’ll be worried about facing anyone. I think we deserved those last two wins. We can definitely take positives from those games as a team and for me personally.