In a thrilling encounter, young Bournemouth winger Ben Gannon-Doak is set to start for Scotland against Brazil in the World Cup 2026. Lawrence Shankland also makes his first start in this tournament, with Scott McKenna anchoring the defense and Kenny McLean stepping into the midfield. Steve Clarke has opted for a more daring lineup, making changes that include the omission of Grant Hanley, Kieran Tierney, Ryan Christie, and Ché Adams.
The confirmed line-up for Scotland includes: Gunn, Patterson, McKenna, Hendry, Robertson, Doak, McLean, Ferguson, McGinn, McTominay, and Shankland. The bench features Kelly, Gordon, Hickey, Hanley, Tierney, Fletcher, Dykes, Adams, Christie, Stewart, Souttar, Hyam, Hirst, Ralston, and Curtis.
Brazil’s roster comprises Alisson, da Silva Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Douglas Santos, Guimaraes, Casemiro, Lucas Paqueta, Rayan, Cunha, and Vinicius Junior, with substitutes including Weverton, Ederson, Alex Sandro, Bremer, Leo Pereira, Ibanez, Ederson Silva, Fabinho, dos Santos Danilo, Neymar, Endrick, Luiz Henrique, Martinelli, and Thiago.
The match will be officiated by referee Cesar Arturo Ramos Palazuelos from Mexico.
Despite being a less formidable version of the Seleção, the atmosphere in Brazil reflects a certain apprehension. It’s akin to listening to Elis Regina’s rendition of Aquarela do Brasil rather than Tom Jobim’s classic.
Paul MacInnes reports from Miami, where he has been engaging with the Tartan Army and observing a new American tradition: “Baxter frequently had the Brazilians bemused as he spread the play or cleverly sent them the wrong way with a body swerve,”
A reminder of FIFA’s weather protocols: if thunder or lightning occurs within an eight-mile radius of the stadium, players will retreat to their dressing rooms, triggering a 30-minute countdown. If no further lightning is detected during this time, the teams will re-emerge for a 15-minute warm-up before resuming play. However, any subsequent strike will reset the countdown, as experienced during a recent match between France and Iraq that faced a two-hour suspension. Tonight could be prolonged.
Ewan Murray is stationed at the Hard Rock Stadium, formerly known as Pro Player Park and several other names, providing timely updates that may increase in frequency if weather conditions worsen.
“Scotland captured almost everything but the victory their play so richly deserved.”
Regarding more pressing concerns, he noted, “black clouds are not far in the distance, raising the possibility of a storm delay at some point in this game. Scotland hope the weather is the only threat to their hopes for a smooth evening. Wishful thinking, I fear.”
He anticipates Ben Gannon-Doak’s return to the Scotland team. Raphinha is absent for Brazil, while the key question remains whether Carlo Ancelotti will start Neymar.
Historically, Scotland’s matches against Brazil have not gone in their favor, with a record of 10 games resulting in no wins, two draws, and eight losses. However, the statistics may not entirely reflect the reality. The first encounter took place in a friendly at Hampden before the 1966 World Cup, where Jim Baxter’s clever pass found Stevie Chalmers, who scored. Servilio equalized shortly after, yet Billy Bremner effectively neutralized Pelé, while Baxter orchestrated play against the reigning world champions. “Baxter frequently had the Brazilians bemused as he spread the play or cleverly sent them the wrong way with a body swerve,” a report stated. “Scotland captured almost everything but the victory their play so richly deserved.” Olé Ola!
Scotland’s inaugural competitive match against Brazil also ended in a stalemate. At the 1974 World Cup, Bremner missed a close-range opportunity, resulting in a goalless draw, and Scotland exited the tournament in the group stage, albeit unbeaten. In subsequent World Cups, Brazil claimed victory in three more encounters. Scotland faced misfortune in 1990 and 1998, with last-minute errors leading to defeats, while the 4-1 loss in Seville in 1982 showcased Brazil’s dazzling play.
Tonight’s match might tempt fate. Although this iteration of Brazil lacks some star power, they still boast talents like Vinícius Júnior, Matheus Cunha, Rayan, and Neymar. For Scotland to have any chance of success, Scott McTominay and John McGinn must step up their performances. However, Scotland’s path to advancement is uncertain; they do not necessarily need a win, nor even a draw that could secure a knockout stage spot for the first time in history. Remarkably, they could advance even after suffering a heavy defeat, depending on results from other groups. Fans can only hope for at least a point tonight as Steve Clarke and his determined squad take the field.
The kick-off is scheduled for 11 PM BST. It’s on!
* Perhaps I am being overly dramatic? I can’t help it; it comes with the territory.
