Scotland is just one win away from securing their place in the round of 32 stage in the FIFA World Cup 2026, and it hopes to do so by beating Morocco in Boston on Friday.
Scotland is coming to this match on the back of a 1-0 win over Haiti last week. Scotland, who have played eight FIFA World Cups prior to this, have never qualified for the knockout stages so far.
Friday will be their first golden opportunity to do so, and even if they lose, they won’t be all done and dusted as eight of the best third-placed teams too get spots in the round of 32.
Morocco, on the other hand, is in second place with one point after having played out a draw against Brazil. While a win over Scotland won’t secure their spot in the round of 32, it will certainly keep their hopes alive.
Scotland vs Morocco match details
Scotland vs Morocco head-to-head
Scotland and Morocco have met only once before the upcoming match. That was at the group stage of the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. The match took place in Saint-Étienne, and Morocco won 3-0.
Salaheddine Bassir scored a brace, and Abdeljalil Hadda netted the third goal as the African side prevailed over the European outfit.
Scotland vs Morocco team news
Scotland: Their major concern is the fitness of defender Scott McKenna, who missed the team’s training session ahead of the Morocco game due to a calf injury.
McKenna had also missed Scotland’s 1-0 win over Haiti last week, and Grant Hanley came on as a substitute. Once again, with McKenna uncertain, Hanley could keep his place in the starting XI.
Morocco: Yassine Bounou had picked up a minor knock in Morocco’s 1-1 draw against Brazil, but is expected to start against the Scots.
Apart from that, the 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists have no major injury concerns and are expected to retain the starting XI that faced Brazil.
Scotland vs Morocco Prediction
According to Opta’s 25,000 pre-match simulations, Morocco holds the advantage over Scotland. They have a 54.9 % chance of beating Scotland, who have only a 20.1 % chanceof getting the better of their opponents. The draw prediction is 25.1 %.
Where to watch Scotland vs Morocco on live TV?
Scotland vs Morocco: Possible starting lineups
Scotland: Gunn; Hickey, Hendry, Hanley, Robertson; Doak, McTominay, Ferguson, McGinn; Shankland, Adams.
Morocco: Bounou; Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui; El Aynaoui, Bouaddi; Brahim, Ounahi, El Khannouss; Saibari.