Scotland crash out of World Cup as Steve Clarke resigns

Scotland have been knocked out of the 2026 World Cup at the group stage, and manager Steve Clarke resigned within an hour of their elimination being confirmed.

Clarke's side finished third in Group C with three points and a goal difference of minus three, following a 3-0 defeat to Brazil. With only the eight best third-placed teams across the 12 groups joining the group winners and runners-up in the round of 32, Scotland faced an anxious wait on other results.

Their fate was sealed when Ghana lost to Croatia, leaving Scotland short once again of reaching the knockout stage of a major tournament for the first time in their history.

Clarke, who had signed a contract extension running to 2030 shortly before the tournament, stepped down just weeks later. He said he had always felt that if the team failed to get out of the group — something they had tried and missed across three tournaments — it would be the right time to step away.

His departure ends a long and largely successful tenure that saw Scotland qualify for consecutive major finals, even as the elusive goal of progressing beyond the group stage remained out of reach.