Scotland head coach Steve Clarke had just finished his playing career with Chelsea when his country qualified for the 1998 World Cup, proving their last appearance at the finals before the former defender guided them back to the tournament by beating Denmark last November.Clarke has particular reason to sense the feelgood factor before Scotlands pre-finals swansong on home turf at Hampden Park against Curacao on Saturday, having signed a new deal on Thursday to stay in charge until 2030.It will be nice for the fans to give us a send-off, Clarke told the Scottish FA. We want to win. The most important thing is no injuries and minutes for a lot of players who probably need to get minutes in their legs.There will probably be a few rotations and changes throughout the game, but Ill try to utilise most of the squad.The third-lowest ranked team at the finals, Curacao finished ahead of Jamaica to win their qualifying group and will have the oldest head coach in World Cup history in the hugely experienced Dick Advocaat.Miami FCs Jurgen Locadia played for Advocaat at the strikers first club, PSV, before becoming Brighton & Hove Albions then-record signing and playing for the likes of Hoffenheim and Bochum.Its very special, said the 32-year-old, who scored three Premier League goals, speaking to VoetbalPrimeur and adding that the prospect of the World Cup finals is really starting to sink in.[Advocaat] gets mad at me often. We have a nice bond and he knows what he gets from me. He can now help and support me and the younger players.At their first finals, Curacaos tough group features four-time champions Germany, the Ivory Coast and Ecuador. Table of ContentsWorld Cup 2026 friendly: Scotland v Curacao team newsScotland v Curacao 2026 World Cup friendly predicted line-upsWhere to watch Scotland v Curacao: TV channel, live online streamWorld Cup 2026 international friendly: Scotland v Curacao statsPrediction for Scotland v Curacao World Cup friendlyWorld Cup 2026 friendly: Scotland v Curacao team newsMiddlesbrough forward Tommy Conway will miss the World Cup with an ankle problem but Southampton striker Ross Stewart could feature for Scotland for the first time since 2022, having suffered a string of serious injuries between his last international appearance and January this year.Clarke is hopeful that 43-year-old Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon will stay fit for Scotlands campaign, which starts with games against Haiti, Morocco and Brazil, having returned this month from a long-term shoulder injury.Alongside Locadia, Curacaos squad features numerous players who may be familiar to fans in Scotland and England.Captain Leandro Bacunas former clubs include Aston Villa, Reading, Cardiff City and Watford. Sontje Hansen is a Boro winger, Tahith Chong is a Sheffield United midfielder and Arjany Martha is a Rotherham United defender.Full-back Joshua Brenet played for Livingston, midfielder Gervane Kastaneer had a loan spell with Hearts from former club Coventry City and winger Kenji Gorre was a youth prospect at Swansea City.Scotland v Curacao 2026 World Cup friendly predicted line-upsScotland starting XI: Angus Gunn, Nathan Patterson, Jack Hendry, Scott McKenna, Kieran Tierney, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Ferguson, Ryan Christie, George Hirst, Lawrence Shankland, Ross McCrorieCuracao starting XI: Eloy Room; Arjany Martha, Roshon Van Eijma, Armando Obispo, Sherel Floranus, Leandro Bacuna, Gervane Kastaneer, Juninho Bacuna, Tahith Chong, Jurgen Locadia, Sontje HansenWhere to watch Scotland v Curacao: TV channel, live online streamKick-off on Saturday is at 13:00 BST (08:00 ET / 05:00 PT). In the UK, live TV coverage is on BBC One Scotland.Online live streaming on a vast range of devices is available on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.World Cup 2026 international friendly: Scotland v Curacao statsThis is the first meeting between Scotland and Curacao, making the visitors the sixth different North or Central American nation Scotland have facedScotland have failed to win any of their last six meetings with nations from those regions (D3 L3) since a 4-1 friendly win over Trinidad and Tobago in 2004They have lost three of their last four matches across all competitions (W1), which is as many defeats as they suffered across their previous 12 matchesClarkes side could lose three in a row for the first time since 2024, when they lost four straight gamesNine players have scored Scotlands last 10 goals across all competitions, with Scott McTominay the only player to score more than once during this runThe Tartan Army have failed to find the back of the net in each of their last two matches, losing 1-0 to both the Ivory Coast and JapanLawrence Shankland, who recently completed a switch from Hearts to Rangers, has scored 48 goals in the Scottish Premiership since the beginning of the 2023/24 season, which is 11 more than any other player. After netting on his last appearance for Scotland against Denmark in November 2025, the 30-year-old will be looking to score in back-to-back appearances for his nation for the first timeCuracao have never beaten a European nation, losing five of their previous six matches against those sides and only avoiding defeat with a 0-0 draw against the Netherlands in June 1960They have faced three European nations previously: the Netherlands (3), Denmark (2) and most recently KazakhstanHaving avoided defeat in each of their previous six matches (W3 D3) all in World Cup qualifying -Curacao have lost their last two, succumbing 5-1 to Australia and 2-0 to ChinaGervane Kastaneer was Curacaos top scorer in 2026 World Cup qualifying, with his five goals totalling two more than any other teammateKastaneers assist provided Curacaos only goal in that defeat to Australia in their most recent matchPrediction for Scotland v Curacao World Cup friendlyScotland 4-2 CuracaoScotland are ranked 39 places above Curacao but Clarke has faced a patchy build-up to this game, with some players only just joining his squad. The managers emphasis on avoiding injuries gives greater cause to expect Curacao to provide a test, but those two most recent results and their record against European teams suggest a positive result is unlikely for the underdogs. Topics 2026 FIFA World Cup Curaao national football team FIFA World Cup John McGinn Scotland National Football Team Scott McTominay Steve Clarke World Cup World Cup 2026 Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read Portugal boss Martinez gives verdict on Ronaldo playing at 2030 World Cup Nicholas McGee 29th May, 2026 Messi included in Argentina World Cup squad after injury fears Nicholas McGee 29th May, 2026 Scotland tie boss Steve Clarke down to new four-year contract Jon Fisher 28th May, 2026 Netherlands: Koeman leaves Liverpool defender out of World Cup squad Nicholas McGee 27th May, 2026 Good News for Argentina: Messi injury scan results revealed before World Cup Ben Miller 26th May, 2026 FIFA World Cup 2026: Full France fixtures, schedule, confirmed squad, next match, kick off times Ben Miller 26th May, 2026
