Wayne Rooney is expecting Steve Clarke’s side to have a strong World Cup ahead of their opening match with Haiti.
he 2026 FIFA World Cup final are here at last with Mexico, one of the three host nations, kicking things off against South Africa this evening.
Scotland will begin their tournament against Haiti in Boston in the earlier hours of Sunday morning (UK time) with Steve Clarke’s side hoping to get off to a strong start. They then go on to face Morocco and Brazil in their other group stage matches as they aim to become the first Scotland side to reach the knockout stages of a World Cup.
England and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has tipped them to go one further than that, making a bold prediction as to how deep the team can go at this tournament. He also highlighted why he is full of confidence for this group of players.
Wayne Rooney tips Scotland to reach quarter-finals at 2026 FIFA World Cup
Speaking on BBC Sport’s ‘The Wayne Rooney Show’ alongside current Scotland star Ryan Christie, the 120-times capped forward said: “My prediction was that Scotland would get to the quarter-finals. I think Scotland will do well, I really like the team and I think Steve Clarke has done such an incredible job there.
“I think what Scotland have now with players like Scott [McTominay] going out to Italy and gaining that experience, I think they have got better players than what they have had over the past ten years. They’ve come together as a group and they are hard to play against.”
Rooney does anticipate on issue for Scotland, and a few other teams including England, adding: “The only thing that I think which might hold Scotland back, and England as well, is the heat out there. The humidity and the altitude.”
Man Utd legend warns Scotland and England about climate conditions in USA, Canada and Mexico
The Manchester United legend is no stranger to playing in the USA having had a stint with Major League Soccer outfit DC United between 2018 and 2019. He drew from his experiences there to explain why the climate in North America could prove a challenge.
He said: “Playing out there is so difficult, it’s not actually the playing but the recovery. It takes a bit longer to recover
“It just takes it out of you. You’re a bit tired and it’s just a bit different.”
England have to wait a little longer with their opening match against Croatia amongst the last of the first round of fixtures taking place. The repeat of the 2018 World Cup semi-final will be played
