Why have Scotland not qualified for a World Cup since 1998?

Denmark vs. Scotland: World Cup qualifying

Date: Friday, September 5th, 2019 Kick-off: 19:45 BST

Without a World Cup final, Scotland’s men have been out for 27 years.

That France summer of 1998. Romance and angst are alternated for two weeks. Brazil suffered a first-class defeat, Norway and Morocco suffered a humiliating exit, and Morocco also suffered a group stage exit.

Scotland have made their eighth final appearance, but since then they have been on a horrendous run that has bludgeoned the nation’s football team and plunged them into the unknown for the first time in decades.

Scotland hasn’t hosted a World Cup since the 1990s, according to some. An embarrassment

Is it, then?

61 nations have qualified for the finals since 1998. 25 of those qualified through European Union.

Who has made it, looking around? Both Wales and Ireland managed once, respectively. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Czechs all succeeded.

Has Scotland, however, fallen short of what people outside our borders would have anticipated over the years?

In essence, no.

Every European team that reached the World Cup since 1998 has a higher ranking than the Scots. In other words, Scotland would have been the worst team in Europe at any given tournament if they had succeeded.

What can we infer from this data? That Scotland are not expected to make the World Cups, which they have not done for some time. not just through the pessimism lens of Scotland.

Our ranking would have increased if the Scots had qualified for one, say, the World Cup in 2002, winning the extra points needed to get them there and possibly snatching the odd result, as suggested by some.

But those things fall under the category of “ifs, buts, and maybes.” They didn’t deserve to be there, given the success of the national team over the previous 27 years.

In 2019, Steve Clarke assumed the role of Scotland’s head coach and vowed to restore the nation to a major championship. He has won the European Championships final twice.

Although both were a damp squib with Scotland wheezing their way to an early exit on each occasion without really grabbing a punch on, well, anyone, it was no mean feat.

Under Clarke, the squad has continued to evolve, but in the last year, the focus has turned toward the future with the arrival of young players. Where has the supply of young talent that is entering the age groups been, though, as a glut of talented players is starting to wane?

The Scottish FA established seven performance schools in 2012 to showcase the best of Scotland’s young talent as they learn, develop, and succeed.

Billy Gilmour, who graduated from Grange Academy in Kilmarnock, was the only performance school graduate from last summer’s Euros to represent Scotland against Germany.

Some Scottish clubs, including Celtic, Dundee, Dundee United, Hearts and Rangers, have their own school partnerships in addition to the SFA.

For instance, Ben Gannon-Doak, Anthony Ralston, Aaron Hickey, Jack Hendry, and Kieran Tierney can be alumni of Celtic’s partnership with St. Ninian’s in Kirkintilloch.

Even if there is compelling evidence over the past 27 years that it will be difficult, anything is possible.

Many outstanding players have watched their international careers pass by unapologetically. McFadden, James Ferguson, Barry Darren Fletcher . . . . David Weir . Brown, Scott McGregor, Calum All fantastic players, some of whom were crammed into talent-stuffing squads that couldn’t do the job.

Although the headline may say two Euros were won, there have been some incredibly difficult situations in recent years.

Scotland never looked like it was deserving of winning any of those six Euros, despite making a slight exception to that last summer when they faced Switzerland. The score difference is 12-3 against.

The piece’s landscape, however, serves as a warning before entering World Cup qualifying against the Danes on Friday.

After a brave start to qualifying for Euro 2024, where Spain and Norway were defeated, a run of just one win in 16 came to an end. And that affected Gibraltar.

Scotland slingshot into this seismic campaign with only two defeats from their previous seven, thankfully, that run has been detained. Fans in Copenhagen will experience a sense of dread due to this team’s habit of turning on and off their mojo, most notably in the World Cup play-off against Ukraine in 2022.

With such a short qualifying period and such a short qualifying period, you believe even at this point in game one, some sort of positive outcome could be crucial. To topple the Danes, whoever Clarke chooses will need a brave effort.

However, it doesn’t extend to them. This team triumphed in Poland, beat the Norwegians in Oslo, and sucked the Spanish at Hampden. It has the potential to occur again. Clarke has a wealth of talent at his disposal.

Scott McTominay, Bologna captain Lewis Ferguson, and Scotland captain Andy Robertson, who has won the Champions League, are among the nominees for the Ballon d’Or. The left-back at Liverpool and John McGinn may consider this to be their final chance to grace the biggest stage of all.

It’s a group with heart and experience that now includes Lennon Miller from Udinese, Johnston, and Hibernian hotshot Kieron Bowie.