Steve Clarke resigns as Scotland manager after World Cup exit

Football

Sun June 28, 2026 · 3h ago

Steve Clarke has resigned as Scotland manager after they failed to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup.

He only signed a new four-year contract on the eve of the tournament, but a narrow win over Haiti and limp defeats by Morocco and Brazil meant a first World Cup campaign since 1998 ended in disappointing fashion.

Their fate was confirmed at the conclusion of the group stage on Saturday night, triggering the announcement.

"The most emotional part of this goodbye is for my players, without whom we wouldn't have had any of the memories that we've accumulated from 2019 until now," said Clarke.

"They deserve all the praise and adulation that they receive and it was truly an honour to be called their gaffer.

"Thanks for having me and good luck to my successor."

The 62-year-old leaves after a spell that has seen him undoubtedly secure his place as Scotland's most successful manager, leading them to successive Euros - in 2020 and 2024 - before ending the country's 28-year wait to qualify for the World Cup.

But on each occasion his team performed poorly at the tournament itself.

This summer Clarke was urged by swathes of the public to be less conservative, and although Scotland did struggle to carve out chances, with John McGinn's deflected strike against Haiti their only goal, it was in fact individual defensive errors that ultimately proved costly.

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