"Twenty-seven years have dragged by since without Scotland's men reaching a World Cup, a horrendous run that has bludgeoned the high standing of the nation's football team while casting them into the international wilderness for well over a generation. But how bad is it that it has been so pain-painstakingly long? Who is to blame, and can the Tartan Army dare to have a dream again?"
"Since 1998, 61 nations have qualified for a finals. Of that number, 25 of them came through European qualifying. Looking around at similar sized nations, who has made it? Wales and Republic of Ireland both managed it once apiece. Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Czechs did it, too. Slovenia have even accomplished it twice. The Swedes three times. None of them are what you would describe as footballing powerhouses."
Scotland's men's team has not qualified for a World Cup since 1998, a 27-year absence that has diminished the nation's football standing and left fans without a finals appearance for over a generation. Since 1998, 61 nations have reached World Cup finals, 25 via European qualifying. Comparable nations such as Wales, the Republic of Ireland, Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Sweden have managed qualifications with varying frequency. Historically, every European qualifier had a higher world ranking than Scotland at the time, meaning Scotland would have been among the lowest-ranked European participants when compared across tournaments.
Read at www.bbc.com
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