Scotland has ended an almost 30-year wait for World Cup football after a dramatic match against Denmark in Glasgow - but how far could they actually go in the tournament?

Steve Clarke’s men delivered one of the most memorable moments in Scottish football history after winning 4-2 in front of a home crowd at Hampden Park in what proved to be a tense affair for fans.

After taking an early lead with Scott McTominay’s stunning overhead kick, the Danes drew level after Rasmus Højlund slid a contentious penalty into the back of the net. The Scots had the lead again after Lawrence Shankland tapped in a corner delivery, but this was short lived as Patrick Dorgu replied within a matter of minutes.

Scotland ended 27 years of hurt as the squad booked their place in the 2026 World Cup - but how far will they actually go? | AFP via Getty Images

placeholder image — Scotland ended 27 years of hurt as the squad booked their place in the 2026 World Cup - but how far will they actually go? | AFP via Getty Images

With nothing but a win needed to seal qualification, it looked like Scotland’s hopes had gone up in smoke before Kieran Tierney delivered an outstanding strike from outside the box in stoppage time. There was still time to all but confirm Scotland’s progression, as midfielder Kenny McLean struck gold from the halfway line after spotting Danish keeper Kasper Schmeichel off his line on the 98th minute, with the full-time whistle coming shortly after the celebrations on pitch.

The win meant that Scotland earned qualification to the World Cup for the first time in 27 years. While excitement is high and heads are sore the morning after what proved to be an extraordinary night for Scotland fans, it’s time to look towards next summer’s tournament and what could lie in store for the team. NationalWorld has asked Chat GPT how far Scotland could go in the World Cup 2026.

How far could Scotland go in the World Cup 2026?

When asked ‘how far will Scotland go in the World Cup?’, Chat GPT replied: “Short answer: not very far, based on their historical World Cup performance — but there is a real chance they could make a splash, especially with momentum now.”

Scotland last qualified for the World Cup in 1998, but have never made it past the group stages. However, as the AI Chatbot points out, next year’s tournament actually involves more teams than ever with 48 countries set to take part.

As a result, smaller footballing nations could progress through to the knockout stages - and Scotland could be one of them. While group opponents will not be confirmed until later down the line, there is optimism that Scotland and The Tartan Army’s momentum could carry them through to the knockout stages for the first time in their history, especially if the draw is kind to Steve Clarke and his squad.

Chat GPT added: “Scotland are in a good place right now: they’ve broken their World Cup drought, they have momentum, and they could surprise a few people. But expecting them to go all the way would be very optimistic. A group-stage exit wouldn’t be a disaster, and getting to the first knockout round (if possible) would be a huge achievement.”

Regardless of how far Scotland make it in next year’s tournament, Scotland fans are in dreamland after last night’s thrilling 4-2 win over Denmark that secured the team top spot in qualifying group C. As a result, Scotland have avoided the dreaded play-offs, with the Danes instead set to face a wait until they learn their World Cup fate.