McGinn in the form of his life and now dancing to Scotland's tune
If Scotland hit the mark in their upcoming matches the way John McGinn does in front of the media then this could be a special World Cup for Steve Clarke's side, writes Tom English.
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Notable Quotes
"Our job is to look after Scotland. Norway's job is to look after Norway."
— John McGinn , Athlete
""Unprofessional," trumpeted Solbakken of his Scottish counterpart."
— Stale Solbakken , Athlete
""Embarrassing" and "weak" whinged Hangeland."
— Brede Hangeland , Athlete
"I'd happily lose friendlies for the next 10 years to make each major tournament, that's just the reality of it."
— John McGinn , Athlete
"It's a completely different challenge for us again."
— John McGinn , Athlete
"Our job's to look after Scotland, Norway's job is to look after Norway."
— John McGinn , Athlete
"I think it feels different to last week because you're starting to get used to it."
— John McGinn , Athlete
"But when the real stuff starts on Saturday it doesn't matter what temperature it is, Scotland at a World Cup can turn it up even more."
— John McGinn , Athlete
"We're just absolutely delighted to be a part of it after so long and if we can just keep raising those standards every day, we'll give ourselves the best possible chance of doing something we haven't done before."
— John McGinn , Athlete
Key People
Billy Gilmour is a midfielder who plays for Napoli and the Scotland national team.
Brede Hangeland is a former professional footballer and the team manager of the Norway national football team.
John McGinn is a Scottish footballer playing as a midfielder for the national team.
Stale Solbakken is the head coach of the Norway national football team.
Steve Clarke is the head coach of the Scotland national football team.
Locations
Tags
All Coverage
If Scotland hit the mark in their upcoming matches the way John McGinn does in front of the media then this could be a special World Cup for Steve Clarke's side, writes Tom English.
An overview of Scotland's World Cup 2026 group, including fixtures, schedule, standings, and odds for Group C teams: Scotland, Brazil, Morocco, and Haiti.
Scotland midfielder John McGinn defends manager Steve Clarke after Norway boss Stale Solbakken criticizes Clarke's decision to cancel a friendly match.
Scotland vice-captain John McGinn expresses confidence in Scotland's World Cup prospects, emphasizing the team's readiness to perform under pressure.
Scotland midfielder John McGinn expresses his willingness to sacrifice friendly matches over the next decade if it ensures Scotland's qualification for major tournaments.
Similar Stories
Related coverage based on topic and tags
Patient, precise, clinical - are Scotland ready to make World Cup mark?
Scotland thrash Bolivia and are in decent fettle one week out from the biggest game of their international lives.
June 6, 2026 at 11:31 PMClarke's 'got some decisions to make' - but what are they?
Scotland head coach Steve Clarke has "some decisions to make" when it comes to his starting XI for their World Cup opener against Haiti on Sunday, but what are they?
June 7, 2026 at 07:33 AMScotland score four in first half to beat Bolivia
Watch the goals as Scotland score four in the first half to beat Bolivia in their final World Cup warm-up.
June 6, 2026 at 10:58 PMMcTominay travels separately in Boston as precaution
Key midfielder Scott McTominay travelled with a doctor as a precaution prior to Scotland's World Cup opener.
June 11, 2026 at 11:39 PMThis was a training game - England & Tuchel now need to get serious
England have one more game to prepare for their World Cup campaign - and they must use it wisely, writes Phil McNulty.
June 6, 2026 at 11:35 PMHow to watch the World Cup on the BBC and ITV
The BBC will broadcast Scotland's first World Cup match since 1998, when they take on Haiti on 14 June, plus their final group match against Brazil and England's group match against Ghana.
June 6, 2026 at 05:33 PM