Welcome to The Athletic ’s 2026 World Cup tactical group guides, walking you through the key battles on the pitch, the players to look out for, and the fun facts to impress your friends ahead of the tournament.

Scotland are back at the World Cup after a 28-year absence.  The Tartan Army will be heading to North America under the experienced eye of Steve Clarke who has now guided them to three major tournaments in a row.

Scotland fans who call themselves the Tartan Army will soon swarm Boston and Providence ahead of the World Cup matches in Foxboro.

Just over a week until Scotland's World Cup campaign begins, tickets for the opening match are being sold on third-party resale websites. Dozens of tickets for the Scotland vs Haiti match on 12 June are listed on the sites,

Scotland picked teenager Tyler Fletcher for the World Cup as a surprise injury replacement Sunday despite the midfielder playing less than 20 minutes for Manchester United this season. The 19-year-old Fletcher was asked by Scotland coach Steve Clarke to gain experience last week practising with the senior squad,

Join Scott Murray for reaction after Lawrence Shankland helped Scotland fight back to beat 10-man opposition at Hampden Park.   15:36 Ewan Murray was at Hampden this afternoon. Here’s his report.

Scotland and Curaçao continue their preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a friendly on Saturday. How to Watch Scotland vs Curaçao Scotland will host Curaçao on Saturday in its final warm-up fixture before travelling to the United