Scotland have a traumatic history in the World Cup. It often begins with a flurry of excitement and ends in underwhelming dejection.
They first appeared in 1954, with the Scottish Football Association seeing the light after their temper tantrum of 1950, deciding on this occasion it was acceptable to qualify as runners-up to England in the British Home Championships.
An appearance in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden was followed by three straight tournament misses, next appearing in 1974 in West Germany.
The golden age of Scottish football then followed, appearing in six out of seven World Cups between 1974 and 1998.
Legends such as Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Archie Gemmill, and Alan Hansen all starred during that era.
Scotland v the Netherlands at the 1978 World Cup, the most iconic game in Scotland’s footballing history, was the centrepiece of that era, as a Dalglish opener and an Archie Gemmill brace helped the Scots overcome the eventual runners-up.
Then came the drought, not qualifying for a World Cup in the 21st Century until one magical night at Hampden Park.
But now the wait is over, and Scotland will raise the Tartan army and cross the pond for their first World Cup in 28 years.
Super Scott
The Scots are carrying a heavy weight on their shoulders, and surely one man is taking the brunt of responsibility.
Ballon d’Or Nominee. The hero of Naples. A man reborn by the sky blue jersey.
Scott McTominay’s immortalised form in the Italian south has been enjoyed plenty by the Tartan army, the highlight being an overhead kick against Denmark to send Scotland to the World Cup.
This means it’s not a question of whether he starts, but where. Antonio Conte plays him centrally for Napoli, either alongside Kevin De Bruyne as a ten, or in the centre as a box-to-box midfielder.
For Scotland, he’s played as a central midfielder or as part of a strike partnership. It seems most likely that he’ll stay up top, at least for the start of this tournament, as his box crashing and technical ability will prove disruptive against tougher competition.
The McTominay conundrum is just the tip of the iceberg for building this Scotland starting eleven, as the Scots have a plethora of talent in the midfield and fullback positions.
Selection dilemmas
In net, Angus Gunn or Lloyd Kelly will find their place here. There is also a shout for 43-year-old Hearts keeper Craig Gordon to start.
The defensive selections will be dependent on whether manager Steve Clarke opts for a 4-4-2 or a 3-5-2, as he often prefers Kieran Tierney as a left-sided centre back with Andy Robertson at wing-back.
However, if he uses four defenders, then it’s likely Tierney will be coming off the bench for the Liverpool legend.
In midfield, Scotland have three to four battle-ready options, with John McGinn, Lewis Ferguson, Billy Gilmour and potentially Scott McTominay ready to start. Ideally, McGinn plays wide to accommodate the Serie A stars in the middle, with McTominay up top.
Finally, at striker, Scotland have Lyndon Dykes, Lawrence Shankland and Che Adams ready to play alongside McTominay. Form dictates Shankland should be leading the line, although Clarke often prefers Dykes for his hold-up play.
Scotland face a challenging group of Brazil, Morocco, and Haiti.
While Scotland are certainly the favourites against Haiti, Brazil poses an inevitable up-hill battle, while AFCON winners Morocco will be a tough challenge.
Despite that, a convincing win over Haiti may be enough for a spot in the last 32, thanks to the number of third-placed sides which will qualify. Check out our full guide to the potential third-placed finishers.
Beyond that, World Cup Wire’s simulation has Scotland facing co-hosts Mexico in the round of 32, a fixture likely to take place in the heart of Mexico City at the Azteca. An away tie against the 15th ranked side in the world would be a formidable challenge for Clarke’s team.
The World Cup Wire prediction for Scotland:
Group stage:
Brazil v Scotland: 4-1
Morocco v Scotland: 2-0
Haiti v Scotland: 0-3
Knock-outs:
Mexico v Scotland (Ro32): 2-0