Scotland will play friendlies with Japan and Curacao before the 2026 World Cup

Scotland will face fellow FIFA World Cup 2026 participants Japan and Curacao in home friendlies ahead of this year’s global football championship starting in June, the Scottish FA said on Monday.

Japan, ranked 18th in the world, visits Hampden Park on March 28, while 82nd-ranked Curacao – the smallest country to have reached a World Cup – will be the opponents when Scotland play a final farewell match on May 30 before the finals begin in June.

The friendly against Japan will be Scotland’s first match since securing their first place in the World Cup finals since 1998 with a 4-2 win over Denmark in November.

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“It will be great to meet the team for the first time since that crazy, memorable night when they brought us back to the World Cup after such a long time,” said Scotland coach Steve Clarke.

“We can reminisce on the first day, but then we get back to the serious business of preparing for the summer.”

Scotland, ranked 36th, will start their World Cup campaign against Haiti on June 13, followed by Group C matches against Morocco and Brazil on June 19 and 24.

Published on January 19, 2026