News Focus
- Steve Clarke agrees a four-year contract extension to remain Scotland boss until the 2030 World Cup
- The 62-year-old has already led Scotland to three major tournaments, more than any previous manager
- Scotland will face Haiti, Morocco and Brazil in the 2026 World Cup group stage in the United States
- Clarke plans gradual squad improvements rather than major changes after 76 matches in charge
- Final warm-up match against Curacao takes place at Hampden Park before the team travels to North America
Steve Clarke has promised to build steady progress rather than make dramatic changes after agreeing a new four-year contract with Scotland. The deal keeps him as manager until the 2030 World Cup.
If he stays until the end of this contract, the 62-year-old will become the longest-serving manager in Scotland’s history. He has already managed 76 matches for the national team. This is a national record.
Clarke took charge in May 2019. Since then, he has guided Scotland to three major tournaments. These include the European Championships in 2020 and 2024, plus this summer’s World Cup in North America. No other Scotland boss has reached this many finals.
However, the team has never advanced past the group stage. Clarke wants to change this at the 2026 World Cup. The tournament takes place across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The manager explained his philosophy. He keeps his very first Scotland squad list on his laptop. He uses this to show how much the team has grown. Between each tournament, he has made nine or ten changes to the squad. He believes this natural evolution works better than sudden revolution.
Scotland begin their World Cup campaign in Boston. They play Haiti on 14 June and Morocco on 19 June. They then travel to Miami to face Brazil on 24 June.
Clarke had previously suggested he might leave after the 2026 tournament. Last year, he said there was a 75 per cent chance he would go. This changed to 50-50 more recently. However, he decided to stay after looking at the young players coming through the system.
Before joining Scotland, Clarke managed clubs including Kilmarnock, West Bromwich Albion and Reading. He also worked as an assistant manager at Chelsea and Newcastle United.
The team will play Curacao at Hampden Park this Saturday. This is their final match before flying to the United States on Sunday.