Scotland has established itself as a regular contender in the European qualifiers and will compete in 2026 with a motivated squad under long-serving manager Steve Clarke. The challenge in Group C is immense – Brazil and Morocco are top-class opponents – but Scotland is renowned for its fighting spirit.

Manager Steve Clarke has named three goalkeepers for the Tartan Army: Craig Gordon, Angus Gunn and Liam Kelly. Scotland are taking part in a World Cup for the first time since 1998 – a 28-year wait comes to an end this summer. In Group C, the Scots will face Haiti, Morocco and Brazil. The trio of goalkeepers is one of the most unusual in the entire tournament: between them, the three have made just four competitive appearances for their clubs this season.

Gunn, aged 30 and born in Norwich to Scottish former international goalkeeper Bryan Gunn, is Clarke’s likely first choice – even though he has played exactly 45 minutes for Nottingham Forest throughout this entire Premier League season. A single brief appearance in the 1–1 draw against Crystal Palace in February. The reason: Forest’s first-choice goalkeeper, Matz Sels, is one of the best keepers in the league – there is simply no regular place for Gunn. After four years as first-choice goalkeeper at Norwich City in the Championship, where he made 42 league appearances in the 2023/24 season, he moved to Nottingham in August 2025 – and has spent almost all his time on the bench.

Standing at 196 cm, he is one of the most physically imposing goalkeepers in the tournament. He initially played for England’s youth national teams up to U21 level, but then opted for Scotland – making his debut in 2023. With 21 international caps, he is the most experienced of the three goalkeepers. Clarke is confident that Gunn has maintained his rhythm in training and can perform at the level required for a World Cup tournament.

Gordon is 43 years old – and, should he feature in North America, would be the second-oldest outfield player in the 96-year history of the World Cup. Only Egypt’s Essam El Hadary, at 45, was older at the 2018 tournament. Gordon made his debut for the national team in 2004 – some of his current squad-mates weren’t even born back then.

His career has been a tale of highs and lows. Having come through the ranks at Hearts, he moved to Sunderland in 2007 for £9 million – a British record transfer fee for a goalkeeper at the time. After years in the Premier League, he returned to Hearts via Celtic. In December 2022, he broke his leg and was sidelined for almost a year. This 2025/26 season, he has been struggling with a shoulder injury – his last competitive match was a 2–2 draw against Celtic in January. Clarke sent goalkeeping coach Chris Woods to Edinburgh specifically to assess Gordon’s fitness, and then put his trust in the keeper’s assurances. With over 70 international caps, Gordon is Scotland’s longest-serving goalkeeper – and wears the shirt with a pride that is evident in every gesture.

Kelly, aged 30 and born in Glasgow, is a true Rangers man: he joined the club’s academy at the age of ten and spent a total of nine years there. After leaving in 2018, he had spells at Livingston, Queen’s Park Rangers in the Championship and four seasons at Motherwell, before returning to Ibrox in 2024. At Rangers, he is the second-choice goalkeeper behind first-choice keeper Jack Butland and has made very few competitive appearances this season. Internationally, with just one senior international cap to his name, he is still something of a newcomer to the national team. Clarke rates him as a third-choice goalkeeper with solid Scottish league experience and a thorough understanding of the playing culture that characterises the team.