Scotland and Brazil will be eager to secure a top-two finish in Group C when they face off at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Wednesday.
Matchday 3 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will begin on Wednesday, with the two matches in each group being played simultaneously. In Group C, Scotland vs Brazil will be the game in the spotlight, as the winner of this match will secure a spot in the round of 32, while the losing team will have to depend on results in other games to qualify as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
Scotland kicked things off in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup by clinching a 1-0 win over Haiti in Matchday 1. However, a narrow 1-0 defeat to Morocco sent them from the top of the table to third, with Brazil beating Haiti 3-0 in Matchday 2 to take the Tartan Army’s spot. However, the positive to come out of the loss to Morocco was the defensive acumen that Steve Clarke’s men showed, which should serve them well against the Selecao.
Speaking of Brazil, Carlo Ancelotti’s men were underwhelming against Morocco, and the 1-1 draw flattered them after a below-par display. However, the Selecao rolled back the years in the 3-0 win over Haiti, with Vinicius Junior running the show and Endrick and Rayan Vitor producing promising performances.
Scotland and Brazil have previously locked horns four times in the World Cup, with the Selecao winning three games (D1) and clinching a 2-1 victory in the most recent clash, in the 1998 edition. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Scotland
Steve Clarke has had new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. However, Scotland’s head coach should have a full-strength squad for the final Group C game vs Brazil on Wednesday.
Aaron Hickey, Scott McKenna, and Lewis Ferguson missed training on Sunday, while Kieran Tierney appeared to come off injured against Morocco. However, the latter has resumed training since then, while Ferguson and McKenna are expected to be fit enough to feature from the get-go.
Angus Gunn is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Scotland lining up in a 3-5-2 formation vs Brazil on Wednesday, hoping to put men behind the ball before initiating blistering counter-attacks through the wing-backs. Grant Hanley, Jack Hendry, and Kieran Tierney should form the central defensive unit, while Nathan Patterson and Andrew Robertson will be the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will provide width in the final third and protect the three centre-backs. As for the midfield unit, Ryan Christie, Lewis Ferguson, and John McGinn will hold the fort in the middle of the park and initiate transitional play. Finally, Che Adams will lead the line for Scotland against Brazil, with Scott McTominay having a free role in the advanced areas.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Gunn; Hanley, Hendry, Tierney; Patterson, Ferguson, Christie, McGinn, Robertson; McTominay, Adams
Brazil
Like his counterpart in the Scottish dugout, Carlo Ancelotti has a new fitness concern to worry about ahead of the trip to the Hard Rock Stadium. Brazil’s head coach will be without one player on Wednesday.
Ancelotti is sweating over Raphinha’s fitness after he hobbled off with a hamstring injury in the first half of the game against Haiti. Some reports have suggested that the 29-year-old may not play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup again, but his situation remains uncertain.
Alisson Becker is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Brazil lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Scotland on Wednesday. The backline will feature Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Douglas Santos.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes in the double pivot, with Lucas Paqueta reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Matheus Cunha will lead the line for the Selecao against Scotland, with Vinicius Junior and Rayan Vitor, who will replace Raphinha, being the two wide attackers. So, Endrick will be a backup option on the bench for Brazil.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Douglas Santos; Casemiro, Bruno Guimaraes; Rayan, Paqueta, Vincius Junior; Cunha
Key Stats
- Scotland and Brazil have previously clashed ten times, with the Selecao yet to lose a meeting (W8 D2).
- The previous matches between Scotland and Brazil follow a similar ratio, with the Tartan Army holding the Selecao to a goalless draw in 1974 before losing in 1982, 1990, and 1998.
- The defeat to Morocco on Matchday 2 ended a three-game winning run for Scotland.
- On the other hand, Brazil are on a five-game unbeaten run, with the only blemish being the 1-1 draw with Morocco on Matchday 1 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- Scotland have scored over 1.5 goals in five of their last seven matches in a competitive setting.
Player to Watch
Vinicius Junior
While Matheus Cunha, Scott McTominay, and John McGinn were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Vinicius Junior as the Player to Watch for Wednesday’s FIFA World Cup Group C clash between Scotland and Brazil at the Hard Rock Stadium.
The 25-year-old is the form player for Brazil at the World Cup so far, scoring two goals and providing one assist thus far. He has also found the back of the net in his last three competitive outings for the Selecao, and with Raphinha unavailable for the foreseeable future, Vinicius will be the go-to player for Carlo Ancelotti once again.
Prediction
Scotland 1-2 Brazil
The stakes of this match are well-defined, and with three points giving the winning team a direct route to the round of 32, a keenly contested affair is on the cards. However, that will work in Brazil’s favour, as Vinicius Junior and Matheus Cunha can expertly exploit the gaps at the back that will emerge in the Scottish defence.
However, with Brazil’s ageing team showing considerable weaknesses on the break, Che Adams and Scott McTominay will be in business, with one of them likely to beat Alisson Becker once. That may ultimately be only a consolation goal, as the Vinicius Junior show will continue and inspire Brazil to a 2-1 victory that may help the Selecao remain on the Group C summit.
