Scotland and Morocco meet on Friday in a big Group C match at the 2026 World Cup, with both teams looking to move closer to the last 32.
Scotland go into the game on top of the group after beating Haiti 1-0 in their opening match. Morocco are just behind them after earning an impressive 1-1 draw against Brazil.
A win would guarantee Scotland a place in the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in their history. Morocco, meanwhile, are looking for their first win of the tournament and a chance to take control of the group.
Kick-off times:
- Morocco: 11:00 PM
- UK: 11:00 PM BST
- US Eastern Time: 6:00 PM EDT
How to watch:
- Morocco: Arryadia TNT and Al Aoula are expected to broadcast the match, while beIN Sports will carry coverage across the MENA region.
- United Kingdom: BBC and ITV share World Cup broadcasting rights.
- United States: The match will be available on FOX Sports and streaming platforms carrying FOX coverage.
Scotland manager Steve Clarke is likely to be without defender Scott McKenna, who has been struggling with a calf injury and missed training this week.
Clarke could also make tactical changes after using a 4-4-2 formation against Haiti. Scotland may switch to a 5-3-2 or a 4-2-3-1 to add more strength in midfield.
John McGinn is expected to start after scoring the winning goal in the opening match. Ryan Christie could come into the team, with Lawrence Shankland dropping to the bench.
Scotland’s expected line-up is: Gunn, Hickey, Hendry, Hanley, Robertson, Gannon-Doak, Ferguson, McTominay, McGinn, Adams and Christie.
Morocco have no injury concerns and are expected to keep the same 4-3-3 system used against Brazil.
Achraf Hakimi and Yassine Bounou will lead the defence, while 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi is expected to keep his place after an impressive World Cup debut.
Brahim Díaz, Ismael Saibari and Bilal El Khannouss are also expected to start as Morocco look to build on their strong performance against Brazil.
Morocco’s expected line-up is: Bounou, Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui, El Aynaoui, Bouaddi, Ounahi, Díaz, El Khannouss and Saibari.
Scotland manager Steve Clarke said his players are comfortable being seen as underdogs.
“Sometimes the Scottish psyche, the Scottish mentality, is that we are a little bit more comfortable when we are the underdogs. We were the favorites against Haiti and we found the game a struggle, but we managed to win.
“This time we are the underdogs and sometimes Scotland prefer it that way. Morocco have gone up another level since their sensational Qatar 2022 run. We know they are a fantastic team and they have got threats all over the park.
“They did so well in the last World Cup and were a credit to the whole of Africa. We believe in ourselves and our aim is to win the game.”
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi expects a very different challenge from the one his side faced against Brazil.
“The Brazil match was tactical, tomorrow’s clash will be physical.
“The match against Scotland will be different because they are quick with the ball and have strong shoots. We have prepared the players to be ready.
“We do not want to keep the same performance we had against Brazil. We want to improve. Every match is difficult in its own way. Internationally, there are no small teams, and our match against Brazil is not an end in itself.
“We have one point and they have three. They are ahead of us and we have to do our best. It will be a hard match. We will keep our identity and our way of playing. We want to dominate the rhythm of the game and control the intensity.”
Friday’s match will be only the second meeting between the two countries.
Their only previous match came at the 1998 World Cup in France, when Morocco beat Scotland 3-0 thanks to two goals from Salaheddine Bassir and one from Abdeljalil Hadda Camacho.
