Scotland national football team
Mens national football team.
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football competitions. It is governed by the Scottish Football Association (SFA), the governing body for football in Scotland. The team is a member of UEFA in Europe and FIFA in global competitions. Their traditional colors are dark blue shirts with white shorts, reflecting the colors of the Scottish flag. The team and its supporters are often referred to as the Tartan Army.
Scotland is one of the oldest national football teams in the world, having played in the first-ever international football match against England in 1872. The team has a long-standing rivalry with England, with whom they competed annually in the British Home Championship from 1884 to 1984.
The Scots have qualified for the FIFA World Cup on eight occasions (1954, 1958, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, and 1998) but have never progressed beyond the first round. Their best performance came in 1974 when they were unbeaten but eliminated on goal difference. Scotland has also appeared in the UEFA European Championship four times (1992, 1996, 2020, and 2024), but again has not advanced past the group stage.
Despite limited success in major tournaments, Scotland has achieved some notable results, including a famous 3-2 victory over world champions England at Wembley in 1967. Archie Gemmill's goal against the Netherlands in the 1978 World Cup is considered one of the greatest in the tournament's history.
Scotland's highest FIFA ranking was 13th, achieved in October 2007, while their lowest was 88th in March 2005. The team's home stadium is Hampden Park in Glasgow, which has been their primary venue since 1906.
Kenny Dalglish holds the record for most appearances for Scotland with 102 caps, and shares the record for most goals scored (30) with Denis Law. Other notable players who have represented Scotland include Jim Baxter, Billy Bremner, and Graeme Souness.
In recent years, Scotland has struggled to qualify for major tournaments consistently but has shown signs of improvement. They ended a 23-year absence from major competitions by qualifying for UEFA Euro 2020, which was played in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.