2026 World Cup, Final Matchday of Group C: What Brazil, Scotland, and Morocco Need
As the final matchday approaches—scheduled for midnight Italian time between Wednesday and Thursday—Group C of the 2026 World Cup sees three of its four teams still very much in the running for the Round of 16: Brazil, Morocco, and Scotland. Only Haiti is already out, but they will try to bow out of the tournament with dignity against the North Africans. Scotland vs. Brazil and Morocco vs. Haiti will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, respectively.
Brazil enters the match from a position of strength: four points in the standings and a goal difference of +3. With a win or a draw against Scotland, the team coached by Carlo Ancelotti (the only Italian coach still in the running after the mathematical elimination of Vincenzo Montella’s Turkey and Fabio Cannavaro’s Uzbekistan) will qualify for the Round of 16. With a loss, they would also be overtaken by Morocco if the latter beats Haiti, but the worst-case scenario would be qualifying as one of the best third-place teams, barring any dramatic upsets.
Scotland, meanwhile, sits in third place after two matchdays, with three points in the standings and needing to avoid defeat to keep the Tartan Army’s hopes alive. A win would secure their qualification, and if Morocco stumbles against Haiti (draw or loss), Scotland would even finish first in the group. A draw, however, would keep them in the running only as a potential best third-place team—but with no guarantees. Clarke’s men must pull off a feat to avoid heading home.
Finally, Morocco sits in second place, tied with Brazil on four points but with a +1 goal difference. A win or a draw against Haiti would secure their qualification mathematically, and even a loss could be manageable if Brazil beats Scotland at the same time. Facing them, the Atlas Lions will take on a team that has already been eliminated but is eager to close out its second World Cup in history with at least one point: the North Africans are heavy favorites, but at this level, no opponent can be underestimated.
