Scotland's International Break Round-up

Qualification permutations, rise in FIFA World Ranking and the Playoff format

On Sunday night, Scotland beat the side that were ranked 100th in the latest FIFA World Rankings, and continued our record of having never lost at home to a side ranked 100th or lower. Belarus have now lost each of their last 11 World Cup Qualifiers - and their last 18 outside Belarus. With the 2-1 win at Hampden, Scotland moved joint top of their World Cup Qualifying group, having taken 10 points from 12.

Video: BBC footage of Billy Gilmour declaring “thank f*** man” after the 2nd goal

Now, that’s about as far as I can go in an attempt at turd polishing last night’s match. It was very poor, as admitted by the manager and players, but as stated before the match - three points were all that mattered. When the qualification campaign is so short, only 6 matches across 3 international breaks, you just have to win. Greece, who are widely accepted to be in the early stages of a golden generation, have played very well in the majority of their matches. Yet they are already completely eliminated, with two games to spare.

Of course in the long term, winning while playing poorly is not sustainable. Look at Russell Martin at Rangers as the most recent example. His team played poorly in most games yet they still picked up crucial wins against Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzeň to secure Europa League football, before the wheels came off. Results tend to catch up with performances, which is naturally a worry ahead of two crucial games next month.

This article will explain:

• The permutations for qualification

  • Must get something in Greece

• The FIFA World Rankings

  • Big rise for Scotland!

• The World Cup Playoffs

  • How they work & potential opponents