Brazil are “no longer the team they were then”, Duncan Ferguson has told his successors in the Scotland squad, as the Tartan Army face a potential meeting with the record five-time champions in the 2026 World Cup group stage final.
Follow a Winning over Haiti 1-0Steve Clarke’s side were beaten by Ismael Sibari’s goal after 70 seconds against Morocco on Friday and may now need to avoid defeat against an opponent ranked 35th above them if they are to reach the knockout stage.
“Brazil is not the old Brazil,” former striker Ferguson told ITV, as he name-checked three members of the 2002 World Cup-winning Seleção squad.
“There is no Ronaldo, Rivaldo or Roberto Carlos. So come on – we can do well with them.”
2026 World Cup analysis: Brazil ‘not great’
Five-time Champions League winner Carlo Ancelotti has an excellent Brazilian squad to rely on, including Real Madrid striker Vinicius Junior, European champion Marquinhos, Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli of Premier League-winning Arsenal and Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson.
The Seleção tied in the opening match 1-1 with Morocco, which reached the semi-finals in 2002, then beat Haiti 3-0 hours after defeating Scotland.
“When you’re a goal down after 70 seconds, that’s your mentality,” said former Ireland captain Roy Keane.
“What do you believe? Where is your confidence? This has to come from the manager, the coaching staff and the senior players.
“Scotland were waiting for something to happen. If they do that against Brazil… we all agree that Brazil is not great, but they will be more than good enough to beat Scotland.”
Scotland vs Brazil: Recording ‘worry’ in the World Cup
Scotland were a bit unfortunate not to pick up a point against Brazil in their first match in their last outing Appearance in the finals In 1998, when Tom Boyd scored an own goal in the 74th minute that decided the game.
“There’s a bit of encouragement there,” said Ferguson, who played seven caps between 1992 and 1997, analyzing Scotland’s performance against Morocco, which ranks sixth in the rankings and is the highest of any African team.
“We finished the game well. We pressed hard but we didn’t really have that quality to score that goal, did we?”
“Scoring goals will be a concern for us. It’s a concern for every team, isn’t it?”
World Cup 2026 matches: Scotland vs Brazil
The final matches of the third group will be held on Wednesday.
| date | Opponents | place | Start time is GMT | at | Pt |
| June 24 | Morocco vs Haiti | Atlanta | 23:00 | 18:00 | 15:00 |
| June 24 | Scotland Against Brazil | Miami | 23:00 | 18:00 | 15:00 |
World Cup 2026: Group C schedule
Scotland would almost certainly qualify if they won, and a draw would put them firmly in place to at least advance as one of the eight best third-placed teams from the 12 groups, with defeat putting them in a weaker position to be among those teams.
| p | W | D | to | F | A | JD | points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 4 |
| Morocco | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4 |
| Scotland | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Haiti | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 0 |
