Preview: Scotland vs Morocco - prediction, team news, lineups

Gillette Stadium will play host to a fascinating 2026 World Cup fixture on Friday, as Scotland and Morocco lock horns in Group C.

Scotland, who beat Haiti 1-0 in their tournament opener, are currently top of the section on three points, while Morocco are second on one point, having opened their challenge with a 1-1 draw against Brazil.

Match preview

Scotland would clinch qualification for the knockout round of the 2026 World Cup if they manage to overcome Morocco on Friday, and Steve Clarke's side would actually progress as group winners if they triumph and Brazil fail to overcome Haiti.

The Tartan Army were far from convincing against Haiti in their tournament opener, but John McGinn's first-half goal proved to be the difference between the two sides, handing Clarke's side a valuable three points in their bid to qualify for the round of 32.

Scotland have never made it to the knockout round of a major tournament, so there is plenty on the line in this match, and they will be desperate to secure qualification ahead of their final Group C fixture against Brazil on June 24.

This will be just the second-ever meeting between Scotland and Morocco - in their previous clash at the 1998 World Cup, it was the North African country that recorded a 3-0 win, so Scotland will have revenge on their minds in this contest.

Should Scotland manage to win this match and top Group C, they would take on the runners-up from Group F in the next round, which would be Sweden, Japan, Netherlands or Tunisia.

Morocco made a big impression in their tournament opener against Brazil last time out, taking the lead through Ismael Saibari before an excellent goal from Vinicius Junior levelled the scores, with the two teams taking a point each for their efforts.

The Atlas Lions cannot secure qualification for the round of 32 even if they win on Friday, but it would leave them in a very strong position heading into their final game against Haiti.

Mohamed Ouahbi's side have been identified as potential dark horses for the trophy this summer considering the quality in their squad, and the team's performance against Brazil did send out a message.

Morocco famously made it to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, losing to France in the final four, before going down 2-1 to Croatia in the third-place playoff.

The Atlas Lions will be aiming to make it back-to-back wins over Scotland in what is just the second-ever clash between the two teams, and they will enter this game as the favourites, as shown in our World Cup betting guide.

Scotland World Cup form:

Scotland form (all competitions):

WLLWWW

Morocco World Cup form:

Morocco form (all competitions):

DWWWDD

Team News

Scott McKenna (calf) is a doubt for Scotland's second match at the 2026 World Cup, but Clarke's team are otherwise in strong shape for their clash with Morocco, and it would not be a surprise to see an unchanged XI take to the field.

Che Adams and Lawrence Shankland found it difficult to have an impact against Haiti, but the pair are likely to continue in the final third of the field, with McGinn and Scott McTominay operating in a deeper area for Scotland in this contest.

Ryan Christie is arguably the one pushing hardest to break into the starting side, but the expectation is that Ben Gannon-Doak will continue down the right.

Morocco, meanwhile, could also be unchanged from their clash with Brazil, as no fresh injuries have been reported from the camp at this stage of proceedings.

Saibari, who is set to join Bayern Munich from PSV Eindhoven this summer, led the Morocco line against Brazil and got his name on the scoresheet - the 25-year-old is expected to keep hold of his starting role against Scotland.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid's Brahim Diaz and Manchester United's Noussair Mazraoui are also set to be notable starters for the Atlas Lions in this match.

Scotland possible starting lineup:

Gunn; Hickey, Hendry, Hanley, Robertson; Gannon-Doak, Ferguson, McTominay, McGinn; Adams, Shankland

Morocco possible starting lineup:

Bono; Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui; El Aynaoui, Bouaddi; Diaz, Ounahi, El Khannouss; Saibari

We say: Scotland 1-2 Morocco

This is a really tough match for Scotland - a draw would an excellent result for Clarke's side under the circumstances, but we are expecting a strong Morocco outfit to move onto four points in the group courtesy of a narrow success.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.