Is Scotland's World Cup wait undeserved?

The late Craig Brown was the last manager to get the Scotland men's team to a World Cup

World Cup qualifying: Belarus v Scotland

Venue: ZTE Arena, Zalaegerszeg Date: Monday, 8 September Kick-off: 19:45 BST

Coverage: Watch live on BBC Scotland, BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website & app, text updates on BBC Sport website & app, listen on BBC Radio Scotland & Sounds

Twenty-seven years have dragged by without Scotland's men reaching a World Cup finals.

That 1998 summer in France. Two weeks of romance and angst. An opening defeat by Brazil, a draw with Norway, a humbling by Morocco and another exit in the group stage.

It was an eighth appearance in the finals, but since then Scotland have been on 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 after Friday's solid start in Denmark?

27 years of hurt & shame - or is it?

Some may see it as a disgrace Scotland have not been to a World Cup since the 1990s. An embarrassment.

But is it?

Since 1998, 61 nations have qualified for a finals. Of that number, 25 of them came through European qualifying.

Looking around, 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.

But over the years, has Scotland fallen short of what others outside of our border would have expected?

In short, no.

Since 1998, every European team who reached a World Cup had a higher world ranking at that time than the Scots. In other words, if Scotland had made it, they'd be the worst team from Europe at any given tournament.

In 2002 with a world ranking of 50, Craig Brown's team would have actually been the lowest team globally to travel to South Korea and Japan.

What does this data tell us? Well, that Scotland aren't expected to qualify for World Cups - and haven't been for some time. And not just internally through the Scottish pessimism prism.

One could argue that if the Scots had made it into one, say, the World Cup in 2002, then by winning the extra points to get us there and maybe snatching the odd result, our ranking then would have gone up.

But that's in the realms of ifs, buts and maybes. Given results of the national team over the past 27 years, they didn't deserve to make it.

Whether they should have done, is another question.

Has Scotland failed its young talent?

Steve Clarke took over as Scotland head coach in 2019 and vowed to get the country back to a major finals. He's managed it twice, both at European Championships finals.

It's no mean feat, albeit both were a damp squib with Scotland wheezing their way to an early exit on each occasion without really landing a punch on, well, anyone.

The squad has continued to evolve under Clarke, albeit in the past year the dial has started to turn towards the future with young players coming in. But while a glut of talented players is starting to simmer, where has been the stream of young talent coming through the age groups?

The Scottish FA has seven performance schools, a scheme that was introduced in 2012 for the cream of Scotland's young talent to learn, grow and flourish.

Of the Scotland team in Germany at last summer's Euros, Billy Gilmour was the only performance school graduate, having attended Grange Academy in Kilmarnock.

As well as the SFA, some Scottish clubs also have their own school partnerships, including Celtic, Dundee, Dundee United, Hearts and Rangers.

For example, Celtic's partnership with St Ninian's in Kirkintilloch can include Kieran Tierney, Anthony Ralston, Aaron Hickey, Jack Hendry and Ben Gannon-Doak as alumni.

But given the SFA's scheme is now hitting the stage where the first cohort are in their mid 20s, it's hardly blockbusting figures. Only Gilmour and Max Johnston are flying the flag for performance school graduates in Clarke's current squad.

Will Scotland qualify for World Cup 2026?

Anything is possible, even if there's plenty of evidence over the past 27 years to show how hard it will be.

Many stellar players have seen their international career fly by without a sniff of a World Cup. James McFadden. Barry Ferguson. Darren Fletcher. Kenny Miller. David Weir. Scott Brown. Callum McGregor. All terrific players and some of them bunched in squads dripping with talent that just couldn't get the job done.

What none of them - with the exception of McGregor - had that this group hold, though, is experience of getting the job done. Most of Clarke's lot know what it takes to qualify for a major finals having done it twice on his watch already. Completing the hat-trick now would surely be his biggest feat before his expected departure when this campaign reaches a conclusion... somewhere.

Though, for all the headline may read two Euros achieved, there's been some seriously rocky moments over the past few years.

In those six games across both Euros, Scotland never - with perhaps a slight claim against Switzerland last summer - looked deserving of winning any of them. The goal difference reads 12-3 against.

However, it's the landscape across the piece that offers a note of caution before stepping into World Cup qualifying against the Danes on Friday.

After a heroic start to Euro 2024 qualification where Spain and Norway were put away, a run then began of just one win in 16. And that came against Gibraltar.

Thankfully, that run has been arrested with only two defeats from their past seven as Scotland sling shot into this seismic campaign. But this team's habit of switching on and off their mojo - most notably in the World Cup play-off against Ukraine in 2022 - will offer a sense of trepidation for those fans gathering in Copenhagen.

Not losing in Denmark was the main objective for Scotland and they did it well. In truth, with some better finishing from Ryan Christie and Lyndon Dykes, it could have been an even better story as Clarke's team departed Copenhagen.

Up next is Belarus where three points would leave Scotland, regardless of the result between Greece and Denmark, in a strong position. A draw in that game will be what the Scots will be looking for, meaning both group rivals will have dropped points at home, with the Greeks down two home ties already.

There is Ballon d'Or nominee Scott McTominay, Bologna captain Lewis Ferguson, and Champions League winner and Scotland skipper Andy Robertson in the dark blue ranks. Key players such as the Liverpool left-back and John McGinn may be seeing this as their last opportunity to grace the biggest stage of all.

It's a collective rich with experience and heart, which now has a sprinkling of youthful zeal in the form of Gannon-Doak, Johnston, Udinese's Lennon Miller and Hibernian hot shot Kieron Bowie.

Scotland's Clarke has taken its first step in what could be his last dance towards World Cup qualification. Not stumbling against Belarus is now a must to keep the journey on track.