Steve Clarke steps down as Scotland manager as World Cup exit confirmed

Steve Clarke took charge of the national team in 2019
Steve Clarke has resigned as Scotland manager (Image credit: PA Images)

Steve Clarke has resigned as manager of Scotland's national team after his side failed to achieve knockout stage progression at the World Cup.

Scotland began their tournament with a 1-0 victory against Haiti, their first win on the World Cup stage in 36 years, before following it up with two disappointing results.

Clarke's men failed to beat Morocco, losing 1-0, before enduring a 3-0 defeat to Brazil, in which Scotland gifted their opposition multiple goals through defensive errors.

Steve Clarke steps down as Scotland manager as nation's exit from 2026 World Cup is confirmed

Scotland manager Steve Clarke headshot.

Steve Clarke led Scotland to their first World Cup win in 36 years. (Image credit: Getty Images)

In Group L on Saturday evening, England prevailed by a scoreline of 2-0 against Panama to secure the table's first position.

Elsewhere, Ghana fell 2-1 to Croatia, with the former finishing in third place and sealing Scotland's exit from the tournament.

Scotland fans at Glasgow airport jetting off to the World Cup

The Tartan Army will be going home. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Scotland, who finished the group stage with three points and a -3 goal difference, had fingers crossed to be one of the North American tournament's best third-placed sides.

However, Ghana's third place finish in Group K, with four points, made it impossible for Scotland to progress.

The Scottish Football Association released a statement from Clarke shortly after Ghana's game concluded.

He said: "The most emotional part of this goodbye is for my players, without whom we wouldn't have had any of the memories that we've accumulated from 2019 until now.

"They deserve all the praise and adulation that they receive and it was truly an honour to be called their Gaffer. Thanks for having me and good luck to my successor," he concluded.

Scotland players celebrate on the pitch after the FIFA World Cup 2026 European qualification football match between Scotland and Denmark. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP)

Clarke will depart as the most successful manager in Scotland's history. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Clarke was Scotland's longest-serving manager, with highs including the 4-2 qualifying match win vs Denmark back in November, which booked his side their spot in North America.

The event was a memorable one, as the Tartan Army witnessed two goals in added time, the 93rd and 98th, to seal their first World Cup appearance since 1998.

During his reign, he previously missed out on World Cup qualification with a play-off semi-final loss to Ukraine back in 2022, but gained qualification to the UEFA European Championship in 2024.

Scotland also qualified for EURO 2020 under his leadership, drawing with England at Wembley before exiting in the group stage.

The 62-year-old signed a four-year contract in May, due to run to 2030, before his nation's 2026 World Cup performance led to resignation.

Kedar Bayley
Freelance Writer

Kedar Bayley is a trained journalist specialising in culture reporting. As a fan of Liverpool FC, he writes on the Reds often. Knowledgable about all things sports, cinema and television, you can find his words in Screen International, FourFourTwo, Manchester Evening News and more.

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