Top five players left out of Scotland's FIFA World Cup 2026 final squad ft. Lennon Miller
Many big names have not been called up.
Choosing eight defenders and seven midfielders who were part of every squad during the qualifying campaign is proof of Steve Clarkeâs loyalty. Andy Robertson, a departing Liverpool player, will captain his nation in their three group stage matches against Morocco, Brazil, and Haiti.
Scotlandâs two go-to players in recent years have been John McGinn and Scott McTominay. The midfield is undoubtedly the teamâs strongest position. The exclusion of several players has been questioned, as is the case with every squad release.
Also read: Scotland announce FIFA World Cup 2026 squad ft. Scott McTominay
The top five players missing from the Scotland FIFA World Cup 2026 squad are mentioned below.
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 5 | Jordan Holsgrove | Estoril |
| 4 | Greg Taylor | PAOK |
| 3 | Ryan Gauld | Vancouver Whitecaps |
| 2 | Kieron Bowie | Hellas Verona |
| 1 | Lennon Miller | Udinese |
5. Jordan Holsgrove
Jordan Holsgrove, who has been playing with the youth national team for Scotland, has been impressive with his performance. He was hoping to be in Clarkeâs plans for the World Cup. However, he couldnât get a call-up despite his reasonable display at the club level this season.
It was disappointing news for the midfielder. He was expecting to be named in the roster and represent the senior team in the tournament.
4. Greg Taylor
Another big name omitted from the Scotland squad was Greg Taylor. The full-back had been a regular in their roster since making his debut for the senior team. However, a surprise exclusion was met with unfortunate news for the player.
As Taylor has been consistent at the club level, he might have been expecting a call-up to the national team World Cup squad. But he is unlucky, as manager Clarke has preferred someone else over him
3. Ryan Gauld
At the under-19 and under-21 levels, Ryan Gauld represented Scotland. Gauld acknowledged in October 2022 that he had all but given up on ever getting called up to the Scotland side.
He told MailSport, âItâs really not something I think about now.â
Gauld was invited to play for Scotland in the forthcoming UEFA Nations League games, as was revealed in August 2024. But ever since he barely made it to the matchday squad, he has also been left out of their World Cup roster.
2. Kieron Bowie
On June 9, 2025, Bowie made his debut for Scotland in a 4-0 friendly victory against Liechtenstein after being chosen in the squad for the first time.
However, after moving from Hibernian to Serie A strugglers Hellas Verona in January, Kieron Bowie has not played for Scotland; however, he has scored four goals in his past nine games in Italy. It could have been enough to prove his worth in the squad, but Clarke decided not to call him.
1. Lennon Miller
Lennon Miller, a midfielder for Udinese, was controversially left out of the Scotland squad in favour of 19-year-old Rangers winger Findlay Curtis, who had shown promise while on loan at Kilmarnock. Curtis is the groupâs wild card and was given his first international match two months ago.
Which big names have not been called up to the squad?
Kieron Bowie and Lennon Miller.
Which World Cup group are Scotland in?
They are in group C.
Who is the captain of the national team?
Andy Robertson.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.