Scotland's preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026Competition·FIFA World Cup 2026 are underway, with winger Ben Gannon-DoakPlayer·Ben Gannon-Doak affirming his readiness for the global tournament. The 20-year-old, named in Steve Clarke's 26-man squad, is poised to make his mark after a period marked by significant injury setbacks.
Gannon-Doak's journey to the World Cup stage has been one of resilience. He endured a substantial portion of the 2023-24 season on the sidelines following knee surgery in December 2023. This injury ultimately forced his withdrawal from Scotland's provisional Euro 2024Competition·Euro 2024 squad on June 4, 2024, a considerable disappointment for the burgeoning talent.
His club career saw a notable move on August 18, 2025, when he signed for Premier League club Bournemouth for an initial fee of £20 million. This transfer marked a new chapter, coinciding with his senior international debut for Scotland on September 5, 2024.
Gannon-Doak quickly became integral to Scotland's World Cup qualification campaign. He scored his first senior international goal in a FIFA World Cup 2026Competition·FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier against GreeceTeam·Greece on November 15, 2025. Just three days later, on November 18, 2025, he provided a crucial assist in Scotland's 4-2 victory against DenmarkTeam·Denmark. This decisive win secured Scotland's automatic qualification for the World Cup finals, marking their first appearance since 1998.
However, the triumph was bittersweet for Gannon-Doak, who sustained a hamstring injury in the 21st minute of that very match against DenmarkTeam·Denmark and had to be stretchered off. Bournemouth confirmed on November 22, 2025, that he had undergone successful surgery and would face several months of recovery. Demonstrating his determination, Gannon-Doak made his return to first-team football with Bournemouth on March 14, 2026, just in time to build fitness for the upcoming World Cup.
Scotland's qualification journey saw them top UEFA Group CCompetition·UEFA Group C with 13 points from six matches, recording four wins, one draw, and one loss. Their path included a 0-0 draw with DenmarkTeam·Denmark, a 2-0 win over BelarusTeam·Belarus, a 3-1 victory against GreeceTeam·Greece, a 2-1 win over BelarusTeam·Belarus, a 3-2 loss to GreeceTeam·Greece, and the pivotal 4-2 win against DenmarkTeam·Denmark. For the World Cup 2026 finals, Scotland has been drawn into Group C, where they will face formidable opponents in Brazil, MoroccoTeam·Morocco, and HaitiTeam·Haiti. Their schedule begins with HaitiTeam·Haiti on June 13, followed by MoroccoTeam·Morocco on June 19, and concluding the group stage against Brazil on June 24.
Scotland's Ben Gannon-Doak stretches for the ball ahead of Curacao's Juninho Bacuna. (Pro Sports Images/IMAGO)
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