Sports · World Cup 2026 · Group C
Scotlandvs
Brazil
Wednesday, June 24, 2026 · 6:00 p.m. ET · Miami Stadium (Hard Rock Stadium), Miami Gardens, FL
Watch: FOX · Telemundo
My pick: Brazil win · locked 2026-06-23 12:36 UTCPrediction
Brazil to come through, though a draw would do just as well. Carlo Ancelotti's side lead Group C on four points and need only avoid defeat to guarantee top spot, while Scotland, third on three points, almost certainly have to win to advance. Raphinha's hamstring injury hands a start to 19-year-old Rayan, but Vinícius Júnior has scored in both group games and the settled spine of Marquinhos, Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães carries far more quality than Scotland's pragmatic back-five setup can comfortably contain. Steve Clarke's men will sit deep and chase a result, which should leave space for Brazil to punish in the heat of Miami. 2-0 Brazil.
The case for Scotland
18% to winScotland kept Morocco to a single goal and have shown they can defend in numbers, and with McTominay and McGinn pushing up off Adams they carry a set-piece and counter threat. If Clarke's back five frustrates Brazil and the game stays goalless deep into the second half, the pressure swings onto a Brazilian side that knows a point suffices — and Scotland only need one moment.
The case for Brazil
55% to winBrazil have the better players in every line and need only a draw, which lets Ancelotti control the tempo rather than chase the game. Vinícius Júnior has scored in both matches, Cunha bagged a brace against Haiti, and even without Raphinha the attacking depth is overwhelming. Against a Scotland side that must come out and win, Brazil should find the spaces to settle it.
Both cases written 2026-06-23, before kickoff — they freeze into the record exactly as written, however the match goes. The percentages are mine, quoted to a decimal because false precision is funnier — the unclaimed 27% belongs to the draw.
Scotland 3-4-2-14-2-3-1 BrazilThe briefing
Storylines
- Brazil lead Group C on four points and need only a draw to confirm top spot; Scotland (three points) almost certainly must win to go through.
- Raphinha is out with a hamstring injury, so 19-year-old Rayan is set to start on Brazil's right.
- Vinícius Júnior has scored in both of Brazil's group games and continues on the left.
- Scotland are expected to keep the cautious 3-4-2-1/back-five shape Clarke used in the 1-0 loss to Morocco.
The coaches
Steve Clarke Scotland
Long-serving Scotland boss since 2019; pragmatic, defends in a flexible back five and leans on McTominay and McGinn for goals from midfield.
Carlo Ancelotti Brazil
Took over Brazil in 2025; sets up in a 4-2-3-1 with a Casemiro–Bruno Guimarães double pivot behind Vinícius Júnior and the front line.
Availability
| Aaron Hickey | Doubt — unspecified issue picked up in the Haiti win kept him out against Morocco; a late call, with Patterson ready to deputise | Sports Mole preview · 2026-06-23 |
| Scott McKenna | Available — back in training after a calf injury, per assistant Steven Naismith | Sports Mole preview · 2026-06-23 |
| Raphinha | Out — hamstring injury sustained in the first half against Haiti, ruled out of this fixture | Sports Mole / ESPN preview · 2026-06-23 |
| Neymar | Available — passed fit for his first World Cup appearance but a start is considered unlikely | Sports Mole preview · 2026-06-23 |
Availability drifts hourly in tournament week — every row carries its source and date for exactly that reason.
Watch: FOX in English (stream on Fox One with a TV provider) and Telemundo in Spanish (stream on Peacock); the free Tubi simulcast carries Telemundo's Spanish feed. (NBC News / FOX Sports World Cup TV schedule, as of 2026-06-23)
Weather: Warm and humid in Miami for the evening kickoff, roughly upper-80s Fahrenheit with high humidity typical of late June; open-air venue. (NWS seasonal climatology, as of 2026-06-23)
Venue: Miami Stadium (Hard Rock Stadium), Miami Gardens, FL, United States — FIFA strips sponsor names for the tournament; the everyday name is in parentheses.
