As forensics prepare to start a post-mortem into another botched attempt by Scotland to progress from the group stage at a major finals, former England striker Ian Wright has pointed to deeper structural problems rather than the usual scapegoats.
“Somebody is letting down Scotland on a massive scale,” said Wright, the former Arsenal and Celtic forward, who called for a “bolder, braver vision” to address the country’s footballing ills. He said he felt sorry for Scottish fans, whose team’s World Cup hopes now hang by a thread after picking up just three points from three group matches.
“Ian Wright says 'somebody is letting down Scotland on a massive scale' as World Cup hopes fade, citing attendances and Norway's success.”
Wright’s reasoning ranged from undervalued broadcasting deals to unfulfilled potential. But perhaps his most striking comparison came with Norway, a nation of similar population to Scotland’s five million.
Like Scotland, Norway failed to feature in any World Cup between 1998 and this summer, and had played in only one Euros (2000) before Scotland returned to the past two tournaments after a 20-year absence. Yet Norway, spearheaded by world-class striker Erling Haaland and playmaker Martin Odegaard, are now heading to the knockout phase of the 2026 World Cup – the third time in their history they have managed that feat.
Scotland, by contrast, are increasingly likely to be heading for an early exit.
Wright pointed to domestic attendances as a sign of untapped potential. “Norwegian clubs attract average domestic crowds of between 6,000 and 7,000 per week, while in Scotland that number shoots up to 16,000,” he said. Those figures are backed by Transfermarkt data, showing an average of just over 7,000 for Norway’s top flight in 2025 and about 16,000 for the Scottish Premiership last campaign – a number heavily inflated by the crowds Celtic and Rangers attract.
A Uefa report published in September last year revealed that for the third year in a row, football fans across Scotland recorded significantly higher top-flight attendances per capita than any other league in Europe.
BBC Scotland has examined the claims as Steve Clarke’s side’s World Cup hopes fade. Wright’s question hangs in the air: with such passionate support, why does the national team continue to fall short?