Scotland's World Cup squad is built around loyalty as much as current club minutes. C. Gordon is in despite making just three Hearts appearances this season, Ross Stewart is back in the group after not being called up since 2022, and Steve Clarke said the toughest part of the announcement was the five players who missed out. The 26-man squad now turns towards Haiti on June 14.

Why Clarke stuck with his trusted names

Clarke did not dress the selection up as anything grander than it was. He said: "Craig deserves to go, because he played a part in the qualifying campaign." That is the clearest explanation for Gordon's place, and it matters because it is not being sold as club form. The goalkeeper's case rests on what he gave Scotland before the squad was named, not on a busy season at Hearts.

Clarke also said: "I put a lot of importance on characters in the group. You need good relationships." That fits the broader picture. He named a 26-man squad, and admitted: "I had five very difficult conversations I know how they'll be feeling." There was a cut to be made somewhere, and Clarke leaned towards familiarity and balance rather than chasing a surprise for its own sake.

Why Stewart's return stands out

Stewart is the cleaner form pick in the squad. Clarke called him "a striker in form" and pointed to his big-game impact, saying he can score "big goals in big games." The numbers back that up. Stewart has 11 goals for Southampton in 2025-26, and he adds three assists on top of that.

That makes his return the most obvious football decision in the group, even if it has been a long road back. He has not been called up to Scotland since 2022, so this is less a novelty pick than Clarke rewarding a striker who has done enough at club level to force his way back in. Findlay Curtis is the other selection that fits Clarke's outlook, after four goals from five games for Kilmarnock in the run-in and a clear message that young players need minutes if they want the next step.

The World Cup group is not being built on noise. It is being built on players Clarke trusts, plus the ones who have forced the issue through goals and availability. The next checkpoint is the opener against Haiti, and by then the debate over Gordon's minutes will already have been settled by the squad list.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →