When Scotland last reached a World Cup, the qualification campaign started with a 0-0 draw in Austria on August 31, 1996, and ended, gloriously, with a 2-0 win over Latvia on October 11, 1997, that sent Craig Brown’s side to France ’98.

From that first kick of the ball to the last, 406 days have elapsed.

On Friday night, when Steve Clarke’s side begin the road to World Cup 2026, they will set the ball rolling on a 74-day spell that could deliver a joyous return to the main stage, a brutal end to the Tartan Army’s hopes, or set up an even more nerve-wracking play-off path where any slip-up would mean watching from afar next summer.

And as if there wasn’t enough on the line, Clarke is reaching the end of his contract. Failure to reach North America would undoubtedly mean the end of his ti

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