Scotland have been despatched crashing out of League A within the Nations League on Sunday night, after they have been soundly crushed within the second leg of their promotion/relegation play-off in opposition to Greece.
Scott McTominay scored the one aim of the sport when he fired dwelling a first-half penalty in Thursday evening’s first leg in Greece , however a 3-0 Hampden Park reverse signifies that Steve Clarke’s aspect will likely be in League B when the Nations League returns following the 2026 World Cup.
Midfielder John McGinn rued what was ‘an embarrassing evening’ for the Scots, who should now regroup earlier than starting their World Cup qualifying marketing campaign.
Euro 2028 qualification may have a major change
Scotland boss Steve Clarke will likely be hoping to bounce again from relegation
Alongside Scotland in Group C will likely be Denmark , Belarus and Greece, with the winners assured of a spot at subsequent summer season’s match and the runners-up coming into a play-off spherical. The match itself has been expanded from 32 groups to 48, with UEFA having 16 direct spots to fill.
As a part of UEFA’s qualification course of, a robust Nations League efficiency can see groups handed a lifeline, because the 4 best-ranked group winners who don’t go on to complete within the prime two of their World Cup qualifying group subsequent yr will likely be handed a play-off spot.
Hampden Park will likely be a bunch venue at Euro 2028
So with Scotland dropping all the way down to League B for the 2026/27 Nations League, will that be a significant blow for his or her Euro 2028 qualification marketing campaign?
It’s unlikely, attributable to a novel wrinkle within the subsequent match. That’s as a result of Euro 2028 will likely be held within the dwelling nations of the UK and the Republic of Eire, which means Scotland are one among an unprecedented 5 co-hosts.
And whereas co-hosts are often given an automated qualification spot, the match – bar Euro 2020 – has by no means been held throughout greater than two nations and UEFA are unlikely to dish out 5 automated spots.
Whereas the British and Irish FAs await a UEFA ruling on the matter, one mooted situation is that each one 5 co-hosts – England , Wales, Scotland, Northern Eire and the Republic of Eire – will enter qualification as regular, with two locations stored again as a security web for any co-host that fails to make it by means of.
Spain took dwelling the spoils at Euro 2024 final summer season (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
The qualifying course of itself will even have a brand new format, as there’ll now be 12 teams of 4 or 5 groups, moderately than the ten teams of 5 – 6 groups that have been used for Euro 2024 qualifying.
The winners will qualify routinely, with runners-up both going by means of routinely or paired up in play-offs in opposition to groups who’ve certified by way of the Nations League.
