Why Have Scotland Not Qualified For A World Cup Since 1998?

World Cup qualifying: Denmark v Scotland

Venue: Parken, Copenhagen Date: Friday, 5 September Kick-off: 19:45 BST

Coverage: Watch unrecorded connected BBC Scotland, BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website & app, matter updates connected BBC Sport website & app, perceive connected BBC Radio Scotland & Sounds

Dana International. Armageddon and nan £2 coin. The broadcasting bedfellows of Pop Master and Robot Wars being born.

Say nan twelvemonth 1998 to anyone anyplace other successful nan United Kingdom, immoderate of these whitethorn beryllium your answer. In Scotland, it'll astir apt beryllium a operation of romance and angst astatine nan thought of a summertime successful France.

Twenty-seven years person dragged by since without Scotland's men reaching a World Cup, a horrendous tally that has bludgeoned nan precocious opinionated of nan nation's shot squad while casting them into nan world wilderness for good complete a generation.

But really bad is it that it has been truthful pain-painstakingly long? Who is to blame, and tin nan Tartan Army situation to person a dream again?

Some whitethorn spot it arsenic a ugliness Scotland person not been to a World Cup since nan 1990s. An embarrassment.

But is it?

Since 1998, 61 nations person qualified for a finals. Of that number, 25 of them came done European qualifying.

Looking astir astatine akin sized nations, who has made it? Wales and Republic of Ireland some managed it erstwhile apiece. Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and nan Czechs did it, too.

Slovenia person moreover accomplished it twice. The Swedes 3 times. None of them are what you would picture arsenic footballing powerhouses.

But complete nan years, has Scotland fallen short of what others extracurricular of our separator would person expected?

In short, no.

Since 1998, each European squad who reached a World Cup had a higher world ranking astatine that clip than nan Scots. In different words, if Scotland had made it, they'd beryllium nan worst squad from Europe astatine immoderate fixed tournament.

In 2002 pinch a world ranking of 50, Craig Brown's squad would person really been nan lowest squad globally to recreation to South Korea and Japan.

What does this information show us? Well, that Scotland aren't expected to suffice for World Cups - and haven't been for immoderate time. And not conscionable internally done nan Scottish pessimism prism.

One could reason that if nan Scots had made it into one, say, nan World Cup successful 2002, past by winning nan other points to get america location and possibly snatching nan overseas result, our ranking past would person gone up.

But that's successful nan realms of ifs, buts and mibbes ayes and mibbes naws. Given results of nan nationalist squad complete nan past 27 years, they didn't merit to make it.

Whether they should person done, is different question.

Steve Clarke took complete arsenic Scotland caput coach successful 2019 and vowed to get nan state backmost to a awesome finals. He's managed it twice, some astatine European Championships finals.

It's nary mean feat, albeit some were a damp squib pinch Scotland wheezing their measurement to an early exit connected each juncture without really landing a punch on, well, anyone.

The squad has continued to germinate nether Clarke, albeit successful nan past twelvemonth nan dial has started to move towards nan early pinch young players coming in. But while a glut of talented players is starting to simmer, wherever has been nan watercourse of young talent coming done nan property groups?

The Scottish FA has 7 capacity schools, a strategy that was introduced successful 2012 for nan pick of Scotland's young talent to learn, turn and flourish.

Of nan Scotland squad successful Germany astatine past summer's Euros, Billy Gilmour was nan only capacity schoolhouse graduate, having attended Grange Academy successful Kilmarnock.

As good arsenic nan SFA, immoderate Scottish clubs besides person their ain schoolhouse partnerships, including Celtic, Dundee, Dundee United, Hearts and Rangers.

For example, Celtic's business pinch St Ninian's successful Kirkintilloch tin see Kieran Tierney, Anthony Ralston, Aaron Hickey, Jack Hendry and Ben Gannon-Doak arsenic alumni.

But fixed nan SFA's strategy is now hitting nan shape wherever nan first cohort are successful their mid 20s, it's hardly blockbusting figures. Only Gilmour and Max Johnston are flying nan emblem for capacity schoolhouse graduates successful Clarke's existent squad.

Anything is possible, moreover if there's plentifulness of grounds complete nan past 27 years to show really difficult it will be.

Many stellar players person seen their world profession alert by without a sniff of a World Cup. James McFadden. Barry Ferguson. Darren Fletcher. Kenny Miller. David Weir. Scott Brown. Callum McGregor. All terrific players and immoderate of them bunched successful squads dripping pinch talent that conscionable couldn't get nan occupation done.

What nary of them - pinch nan objection of McGregor - had that this group hold, though, is acquisition of getting nan occupation done. Most of Clarke's batch cognize what it takes to suffice for a awesome finals having done it doubly connected his watch already. Completing nan hat-trick now would surely beryllium his biggest feat earlier his expected departure erstwhile this run reaches a conclusion... somewhere.

Though, for each nan header whitethorn publication 2 Euros achieved, there's been immoderate earnestly rocky moments complete nan past fewer years.

In those six games crossed some Euros, Scotland ne'er - pinch possibly a flimsy declare against Switzerland past summertime - looked deserving of winning immoderate of them. The extremity quality sounds 12-3 against.

However, it's nan scenery crossed nan portion that offers a statement of be aware earlier stepping into World Cup qualifying against nan Danes connected Friday.

After a heroic commencement to Euro 2024 qualification wherever Spain and Norway were put away, a tally past began of conscionable 1 triumph successful 16. And that came against Gibraltar.

Thankfully, that tally has been arrested pinch only 2 defeats from their past 7 arsenic Scotland sling changeable into this seismic campaign. But this team's wont of switching connected and disconnected their mojo - astir notably successful nan World Cup play-off against Ukraine successful 2022 - will connection a consciousness of trepidation for those fans gathering successful Copenhagen.

Toppling nan Danes will request a heroic effort from whoever Clarke selects, and pinch specified a short qualification period, you consciousness moreover astatine this shape of crippled one, immoderate benignant of affirmative consequence could beryllium pivotal.

But it's not beyond them. This squad silenced nan Norwegians successful Oslo, suckered nan Spanish astatine Hampden and triumphed successful Poland. It could beryllium done again. At his disposal, Clarke has a plethora of talent. From Ballon d'Or nominee Scott McTominay to Serie A skipper Lewis Ferguson to Champions League victor and Scotland skipper Andy Robertson. Key players specified arsenic nan Liverpool left-back and John McGinn whitethorn beryllium seeing this arsenic their past opportunity to grace nan biggest shape of all.

It's a corporate rich | pinch acquisition and heart, which now has a sprinkling of youthful zeal successful nan shape of Gannon-Doak, Johnston, Udinese's Lennon Miller and Hibernian basking changeable Kieron Bowie.

In Copenhagen connected Friday evening, nan Scotland of nan present and now has nan chance to laic a immense marker for nan future. In doing so, nan ghosts of six campaigns mislaid could yet beryllium laid to rest.