World Cup 1998 or 2026: Will the current squad do better?

Image by Sebastian Pociecha via Unsplash

By Nathan Cadzow

Scotland's hopes of reaching another World Cup have come true after their victory over Denmark. Steve Clarke has yet again made another impressive run, reaching his third international tournament. The question is, will this squad make better memories for the fans at home than the 1998 squad? 

Craig Brown’s squad consisted of top players from that generation with the likes of Lambert, Collins, Leighton and Hendry who could be compared to the current squad's fan favourites such as McGinn, McTominay, Gilmour, Robertson, and Tierney.  

It was a squad built on discipline and structure, a team that you suspected could frustrate anyone even if they didn't have the players to blow anyone away. The 1998-side leaned on defensive solidity, whereas Steve Clarke’s Scotland play with a more modern controlled defensive approach.  

This is a squad raised on Premier League intensity and continental expectations. Players like Scott McTominay and John McGinn may divide opinion, but they offer something Scotland once lacked: midfielders who can genuinely influence games at the highest level.  

John Collins after scoring an equaliser against Brazil at France 98’ via Getty Images

And then there’s the full-back renaissance, Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney, arguably two of the most technically gifted full back players Scotland has produced in a generation. 

It’s not the same kind of team as 1998, and that’s the point. This one doesn’t feel like it’s sneaking in through the back door, they feel like they belong. 

Yet whether the 2026 squad will do better is where it becomes conflicting. The 1998 team had the misfortune of being classic Scotland: competitive in every match but unable to turn heart and effort into goals ultimately leading to no points.  

This 2026 team isn't necessarily better in every like for like position, but they do have one thing going for them which Steve Clarke has installed in them, and that's belief. Scotland don’t just show up anymore they compete. There’s a pragmatic confidence about this team which the 1998 squad didn't possess.

Scotland squad after beating Denmark to book their place at the 2026 World Cup via Getty Images

In the end, comparing the two squads is really a way of measuring how far Scottish football has come and how much it has changed.  

The 2026 team feels like a reboot, built on professionalism, tactical clarity, and a sense of collective purpose. Whether they go further than their 1998 predecessors remains to be seen. However, for the first time in a long time, Scotland head to a World Cup with the sense that the narrative is theirs to shape and not something being written for them.