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 Scotland’s 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 I’ll 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 FC’s Jurgen Locadia played for Advocaat at the striker’s first club, PSV, before becoming Brighton & Hove Albion’s then-record signing and playing for the likes of Hoffenheim and Bochum.
“It’s 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, Curacao’s tough group features four-time champions Germany, the Ivory Coast and Ecuador.
Not just a 𝙨𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩…🌎
A whole 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗲. 🇨🇼🎬🎶See you at the @fifaworldcup!#TheBlueWave #Curaçao pic.twitter.com/ozNEHFLAE5
— Curaçao National Football Team (@TheBlueWaveFFK) May 18, 2026
World Cup 2026 friendly: Scotland v Curacao team news
Middlesbrough 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 Scotland’s campaign, which starts with games against Haiti, Morocco and Brazil, having returned this month from a long-term shoulder injury.
Alongside Locadia, Curacao’s squad features numerous players who may be familiar to fans in Scotland and England.
Captain Leandro Bacuna’s former clubs include Aston Villa, Reading, Cardiff City and Watford. Sontje Hansen is a Boro winger, Tahith Chong is a Sheffield United midfielder and Ar’jany 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.
