Scotland's dream of reaching a World Cup knockout round for the first time in their history has been shattered, after Ghana's 2-1 defeat to Croatia on Saturday night confirmed their elimination from the 2026 tournament.

Steve Clarke's side finished third in Group C with just one win from three matches, and had clung to slim hopes of advancing as one of the top eight third-placed teams across the tournament. Those hopes evaporated completely once Ghana's result made it mathematically impossible.

How the tournament unfolded

Scotland opened their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Haiti — their first World Cup win since 1990 — and briefly topped Group C after Brazil were held to a 1-1 draw by Morocco. However, Clarke's side failed to build on their lead, missing chances that could have improved a goal difference that would later prove costly.

A 1-0 defeat to Morocco followed, with the decisive goal conceded inside 70 seconds. Scotland felt aggrieved: John McGinn and Scott McTominay both had penalty appeals dismissed. Even so, their estimated chances of reaching the knockout stage remained at roughly 70 percent after that result.