Scotland Men's Football Team

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Kenny McLean has "got to start alongside Lewis Ferguson" for Scotland against Brazil in their World Cup Group C decider tonight, according to former Celtic and Hibernian midfielder Scott Allan.

Norwich City's McLean made an impression with his passing when coming on as a substitute in the 1-0 defeat by Morocco.

And Allan believes keeping possession in midfield will be vital in the searing heat in Miami.

"It would play a factor if we don't at least keep the ball for at least some spells in the game," he told the BBC Scottish Football Podcast. "For me, Kenny MacLean's got to start alongside Lewis Ferguson.

"Lewis Ferguson, I think he's been a standout, certainly out of possession for Scotland in this tournament. Showed great energy levels, picked up the second balls."

Meanwhile, Allan thought McLean added "that bit of composure".

Allan, who predicted correctly Kieran Tierney would start on the wing against Morocco, this time suggests head coach Steve Clarke will stick with a four-man defence instead of reverting to a five.

He thought it worked "except for 70 seconds" when Morocco scored their winning goal.

"I would go 4-2-3-1 and then goes into a 4-5-1 - you flood the midfield," Allan said.

That would be important to put pressure on Casemiro, the ageing Manchester United midfielder who was careless in possession when put under pressure by Morocco.

Allan would also like to see Lawrence Shankland up front but added: "I think he might opt for [Lyndon] Dykes just because, if we are sitting in, he gives you that presence and he is the best at getting the nod down to John McGinn, Scott McTominay and Ben Gannon-Doak."

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• Brazil and Scotland will face each other in the World Cup for the fifth time (after 1974, 1982, 1990 and 1998). Only Argentina v Netherlands (six) has been played more times since the 1974 edition.

• Since the sides drew 0-0 in 1974, Brazil have won their past three matches against Scotland at the World Cup (4-1 in 1982, 1-0 in 1990 and 2-1 in 1998).

• Brazil are the team Scotland have faced most in international football without ever winning (P10 D2 L8). Conversely, Brazil's 10 games against Scotland is the joint most they've played a nation without losing, along with Austria (W7 D3).

• This will be Scotland's ninth competitive fixture against South American opposition at the World Cup, failing to win any of their prior eight (D2 L6) while conceding 2.5 goals per game on average.

• Brazil have had 20 shots across their two 2026 World Cup games so far (12 vs Morocco, 8 vs Haiti), with their average of 10 per game currently their lowest on record at a single edition of the tournament (since 1966).

• Vinicius Junior has been involved in six goals in his past five games for Brazil in all competitions (three goals, three assists), scoring in both group games so far. Only four players have scored in three of Brazil's first-round group games at the World Cup, with the team going on to win the trophy each time - Jairzinho in 1970, Romario in 1994 and Ronaldo and Rivaldo in 2002.

• Lewis Ferguson leads all Scotland players at the 2026 World Cup for tackles made (eight), interceptions (four) and duels won (20), while only Jack Hendry (120) has completed more passes than Ferguson (101).

• Neymar's first brace for Brazil came against Scotland, in a March 2011 friendly - he scored both goals in a 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium in London.

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland in Miami

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Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

It feels like the whole of Scotland are squashed into Miami.

Many thought - me included - that Boston was the Tartan Army at its best and there was a wee, quiet, concern that 'The Magic City' couldn't match it.

Boy, were we wrong.

Following on from Monday's march to the Miami Marlins match - because baseball is what we follow now - Tuesday featured the TA bouncing down the beach to the soundtrack of 'No Scotland, No Party', 'Yes Sir, I Can Boogie' and 'We'll Be Coming'.

Coming they are. Well, they've long arrived.

The mile march from Lummus Park to Ocean Drive was magnificent. A throwback to Cologne two years ago at Euro 2024.

Who said that couldn't be topped?

Locals are immersing themselves in the atmosphere - and the accent - and enjoying the influx of men in kilts who keep going on about the heat.

There really is that once in a lifetime feel about all this. Kicking about America, not aware of what day of the week it is with a flock of folk from home.

All this without even thinking about the football.

It's only Brazil, eh?

Rangers are closing in on a deal to bring 28-year-old versatile Scotland-capped defender Ross McCrorie back to Ibrox from Bristol City. (Rangers Review), external

Rangers are preparing to submit a formal offer for 22-year-old Dundee centre-back Luke Graham in the coming weeks. (Football Insider), external

Head coach Steven Pressley says Dundee have received "plenty of phone calls" about Luke Graham this summer, but there has been no firm offers for the centre-half who trained with the senior Scotland squad before the World Cup. (The Courier), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland at Miami Stadium

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Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti says his team will face a Scotland with a "very clear strategy" when they meet in Miami on Wednesday.

The five-time world champions sit just a point ahead of the Scots who lie third in Group C, with Steve Clarke's side needing a positive result to be sure of progression.

Speaking at the Brazil media conference on Tuesday through an interpretor, Ancelotti said: "They are a strong team. They have a very clear strategy.

"It's a very well organised team. Usually play 4-4-2, long balls. They will try and do a lot of crossing.

"We need to control the match in that sense."

Ancelotti says Neymar could be set for his first game in a Brazil shirt for almost three years, adding: "We are very happy. He is a high quality player.

"He can play half-time or the whole 90 minutes. He's very well, he worked very hard. So he is ready."

Scotland fans are becoming baseball experts, and on Monday night they became the stars of the show once more.

Just over a week on from their Fenway Park takeover in Boston, Scotland supporters embraced the Miami Marlins.

There was Billy Gilmour, mince and tattie hot dogs, romance was in the air and there was also... Stephen McGinn.

Watch HERE, external on the BBC Scottish Football YouTube channel.

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Steve Clarke wants Andy Robertson to have the "best night of his life" against Brazil on Wednesday, with the Scotland captain in the mood to "achieve history".

With three points from a win over Haiti and a defeat to Morocco, Scotland go into their final Group C match looking to avoid defeat which would all but guarantee a place in the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time.

With Robertson, 32, set to win his 97th cap in Miami, head coach Clarke said: "He's been a fantastic captain for Scotland. He's closing in on the record [Kenny Dalglish on 102]. He deserves to be here. He's worked ever so hard for the country.

"He leads this group of players like the leader he is and he's very, very important to me and the squad. So obviously I want the best for him. I want him to have the best night of his life."

Robertson, who will join Tottenham Hotspur after the tournament, is looking forward to the challenge of facing the five-time winners.

"We are playing against a massive country, the most iconic in World Cups, obviously most decorated," he said.

"But it also gives us an opportunity to achieve our dreams as well. We want to achieve history for our little country."

Robertson believes Scotland will be up against the "best keeper in the world" in former Liverpool team-mate Alisson Becker.

"I was very lucky to play with Ali for the last eight years and in big moments Ali was always there for us," he said.

"Even when our defence was at its best sometimes teams would get through and we would always rely on Ali to go and make the saves.

"Unbelievable goalkeeper, an even better person.

"Someone that I admire so much, he and his family, I'm really lucky to be close to them and they're fantastic people.

"I hope he's picking the ball out of the net maybe a couple of times tomorrow, more usual than I'm used to, but he's the best keeper in the world for me and he has been for so many years."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter in Miami

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Scotland head coach Steve Clarke has been addressing the media on the eve of the crucial World Cup Group C match against Brazil in Miami.

Here are the key points.

• Clarke confirmed that Aaron Hickey is not fit for the match, but everyone else in the squad is available.

• Asked about the prospect of facing Mexico in Mexico City in the last 32, Clarke said: "First of all we have to get there. I'd love to go back to the Azteca Stadium because played there in the U-19 World Cup way back many, many years ago when I was young, fit, healthy footballer and I managed to score a goal. Scotland beat Mexico 1-0, so if it does happen, we'll have a repeat."

• On what formation he might adopt against Brazil and if it will be a conservative system, he said: "I've got the Scottish media here and they kill me for being too conservative. I think we've shown in my time in charge, whether some people agree or not, that we can be very flexible with our system. For the game tomorrow, we'll have to wait and see because I don't want to tell Carlo [Ancelotti] what we'll do."

• Clarke says Brazil will be true to their attacking DNA and expects them to go far in this World Cup. "I think the characteristics of Brazil as a national team is they have to attack," he said. "These are the characteristics that people expect from a Brazil team. I think they've shown in the matches so far in this tournament that they can be a big threat, and I'm sure they expect to be minimum last four in the competition."

• Facing Brazil in a huge World Cup match represents a proud personal moment for Clarke. "First memories of the World Cup for me were probably the 1970 Brazil team, they were absolutely fantastic," he recalled. "They were great to see for a young boy growing up, and you grow up with that love of Brazil. But tomorrow night, we have to not love Brazil and love Scotland more."

• Asked what he must do to set his team up to be more of an attacking threat than they were against Morocco, Clarke replied: "Pick the right team, get the right tactics, and rely on the players to do that on the pitch. We know what we have to do - don't over-commit going forward, don't leave yourself open to a counter-attack. And when we have the ball, use the it really well and create chances."

• Clarke says his team have measures in place to deal with any weather disruptions to the game, as happened in the France v Iraq match on Monday. "We have a strategy in mind on how to deal with it," he explained. "Obviously, you don't know how long the delay is going to be. They're always doing it off the last lightning strike, you've got to wait 30 minutes off the last lightning strike, so that can just roll on and roll on. If there is to be a delay, then hopefully it will be a short one. We've got a coping strategy and we have an idea of what we'll do if it happens to us"