Scotland faces Greece in a crucial World Cup 2026 qualifier at Hampden Park today, October 9, 2025, with the Tartan Army desperate to end a 38-year absence from the World Cup finals. The match kicks off at 7:45 PM BST and is live on BBC Two, BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer in the UK. In the US, the game can be watched on Fox Soccer Plus.
Scotland and Greece are in Group C for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, alongside Belarus and Denmark. Group winners automatically qualify for the World Cup, while the runner-up will advance to the UEFA play-offs. Scotland currently sits joint-top of the group with Denmark, both with 4 points. Greece is right behind with 3 points.
Scotland began their campaign with a goalless draw against Denmark and followed that up with a 2-0 victory over Belarus. Meanwhile, Greece suffered a 3-0 defeat to Denmark but bounced back with a 5-1 win against Belarus.
This match holds extra significance as Greece condemned Scotland to Nations League relegation with a 3-0 win at Hampden Park in March. Scotland will be seeking to avenge that defeat and continue their unbeaten start to the World Cup qualifying campaign.
Steve Clarke will manage his 71st game in charge of Scotland, equalling the all-time record. He aims to guide Scotland to their first World Cup since 1998. To qualify, Scotland’s most straightforward route is to finish top of Group C. A second-place finish would see the team progress to the UEFA Play-offs in March 2026, where 16 nations will compete for the remaining European spots at the tournament.
Predicted line-ups:
- Scotland XI: Gunn, Ralston, Souttar, McKenna, Robertson, McGinn, Gilmour, Ferguson, McTominay, Doak, Adams
- Greece XI: Tzolakis, Vagiannidis, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas, Zafeiris, Bakasetas, Bouchalakis, Masouras, Pavlidis, Ioannidis
Despite Scotland playing at home, Greece is favored to win the match. Both teams know that a win would represent a huge step towards World Cup qualification.
