JOHN SOUTTAR is one of six Rangers players at this summer’s FIFA World Cup after being selected in Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad.
A first appearance on the global stage for the side in 28 years, Souttar has emerged as an important piece of the Scotland outfit in recent years.
In the lead up to the start of the tournament, we take an in-depth look at each of our representatives:
INTERNATIONAL JOURNEY
After announcing himself as Dundee United’s youngest ever player in 2013, Souttar was regularly involved in the Scotland Under-19s set-up.
As his career took him south to Edinburgh after a transfer to Hearts, his performances earned him international recognition at Under-21 level.
Indeed, he captained his country at youth level in November 2017 as the Under-21s played out a 1-1 draw with Latvia.
With Scotland stewarded by former treble-winning Rangers manager, Alex McLeish, Souttar’s first senior exposure arrived when he was called into the squad in May 2018.
However, he had to bide his time to make his debut, arriving in a friendly against Belgium, fresh off their semi-final appearance at the 2018 World Cup, where he played the full 90 minutes.
He backed it up with a first competitive start against Albania at Hampden three days later.
A lengthy injury lay-off unfortunately curtailed the defender’s involvement in his country’s successful European Championship qualifying campaign in 2020, earned in a famous penalty shootout victory over Serbia in Belgrade.
Following a three-year absence from international duty, Souttar was recalled by Clarke for the side’s World Cup qualifiers in November 2021 where he would leave his mark in a memorable triumph over Denmark.
Requiring victory against the hitherto unbeaten Dane’s to seal a seeded berth in the World Cup play-offs, the defender was given the nod from the off and headed home the opener in an eventual 2-0 win.
It was an undoubtedly emotional moment for Souttar who had been forced to watch Scotland compete in a first major tournament since 1998 earlier in the same year from home.
After playing his part in helping Scotland secure European Championship qualification once again, this time in 2024, Souttar suffered further disappointment when he was cut from Clarke’s final selection.
The defender was part of the manager’s provisional squad but dropped out alongside goalkeeper Craig Gordon.
As has been the theme of his career, the defender simply didn’t allow the disappointment to linger. By the start of Scotland’s UEFA Nations League campaign in 2024, he was instrumental in the side earning clean sheets against both Portugal and Croatia.
In fact, it was his delivery against Poland from which Andy Robertson nodded home in stoppage time to earn Scotland a priceless late victory.
From there, Souttar started in four of Scotland’s five World Cup qualifying fixtures, with his involvement on that famous evening against Denmark, which secured their place at this summer’s tournament, only cut short due to an injury sustained in the warm-up.
THE SEASON THAT WAS
In a competitive campaign which began all the way back on July 22, 2025, Souttar made 38 appearances across the season.
He never missed a minute across the side’s opening 11 league fixtures, wearing the captain’s armband in the 1-0 victory over Hibernian at Easter Road.
Injury disrupted his involvement in the run up to Christmas, returning in the 1-0 triumph over Motherwell in the penultimate fixture of 2025.
Souttar once again captained the side as they produced a 3-1 victory at Parkhead in the second Old Firm of the campaign, and his fingerprints were all over a run of four consecutive clean sheets in the side’s subsequent league fixtures.
He committed his future to Ibrox by signing a contract extension in February, wearing the captain’s armband once again as Rangers defeated Hearts at Ibrox.
Injury struck for the defender during the post-split fixtures, but he returned in time for the final game of the campaign as the Gers triumphed away to Falkirk.
GROUP STAGE OUTLOOK
The group stage campaign then begins the following week, squaring off against Haiti in Boston, kick-off 2am Sunday morning UK time.
Haiti qualified for this summer’s showdown by finishing second behind Curaçao in Concacaf Group C before winning their third-round qualifying section with key victories against Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Scotland will then have six days to rest and recover before going again, this time against Morocco in their second group stage fixture.
The African outfit have certainly raised expectations following their semi-final run in Qatar four years ago, while they enter this summer’s tournament as African Cup of Nations winners.
Last on the group stage schedule for Clarke’s side is the small matter of Brazil, the most successful country in World Cup history.
Although their route to qualification was far from perfect, tasting defeat to Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia along the way, they are now managed by the seasoned Carlo Ancelotti, with the fixture set to take place in the punishing climate of Miami.
SCOTLAND’S GROUP C FIXTURES
Sunday, June 14 – Haiti v Scotland – Boston, Massachusetts – Kick-off 2am (UK time)
Friday, June 19 – Scotland v Morocco – Boston, Massachusetts – Kick-off 11pm (UK time)
Wednesday, June 24 – Scotland v Brazil – Miami, Florida – Kick-off 11pm (UK time)
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