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Scotland’s fans, known as the Tartan Army, were left uncertain about their World Cup 2026 future after suffering a heavy 3-0 loss to Brazil at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.

Steve Clarke’s men entered the match knowing that a draw would be sufficient to secure a historic place in the knockout stage for the first time ever. However, a string of errors cost them dearly against the five-time world champions.

Vinicius Junior opened the scoring just eight minutes into the game, capitalising on a poor backpass from returning defender Scott McKenna. The Real Madrid winger pounced on the loose ball, rounded goalkeeper Angus Gunn, and calmly slotted it into the empty net.

The Brazilian forward thought he had doubled his tally when he again exploited slack Scottish defending, dispossessing centre-back Jack Hendry before finishing past Gunn. However, a VAR review ruled that Vinicius had fouled Hendry in the build-up.

Brazil did find their second goal just before half-time, with Vinicius registering his fourth goal in three matches. Bruno Guimaraes whipped in a superb cross to the far post, where the forward arrived unmarked to head home from close range.

Manchester United striker Matheus Cunha sealed the result on the hour mark. Casemiro threaded an excellently weighted pass into Guimaraes, who squared it across goal for Cunha to slide in the third and put the game beyond Scotland’s reach.

Despite their best efforts, Clarke’s side could only create a few half-chances. Scott McTominay came closest, forcing Alisson into two saves with headers, but Scotland never looked likely to mount a comeback.

Elsewhere, Morocco’s 4-2 victory over Haiti kept Scotland’s hopes alive, giving them a slim chance of progressing to the knockout stage. However, they now face a tense wait.

Scotland currently sit sixth in the ranking of best third-placed teams and must wait for the completion of the group stage to find out if their World Cup journey will continue.