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Nieuws
- 22 minutes ago
Five England stars who could play for Scotland at the 2026 World Cup
Martin Macdonald
- 20 Nov 2025 07:01 CST
- 18 min read
Nieuws
This week, Scotland qualified for their first World Cup since France '98 in typically dramatic fashion.
The Scots had to defeat Denmark at home on Tuesday in order to leapfrog them into first place in the group and secure automatic qualification for the World Cup for the first time in nearly three decades. They took the lead through a miraculous overhead kick from Scott McTominay but they were pegged back twice in the game as we approached full-time at a 2-2 deadlock.
Celtic star Kieran Tierney then popped up with a beautiful, curled strike into the corner from the edge of the area to make it 3-2. With the referee going way over the allocated added injury time, tensions were high in the stands, but Scotland erupted into celebrations when Kenny McLean audaciously scored from the halfway line to make it 4-2.
The celebrations were euphoric, from fans, to players, to the usually-stoic Steve Clarke.
Preparations will now begin for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico and Clarke will likely look for inventive ways to improve his squad such as potentially approaching young players who are yet to represent their country at senior level to jump ship.
That happened with McTominay - and look how that worked out for everyone.
FIFA rules for changing allegiance
According to the BBC, there are five different sets of circumstances in which a player can become eligible to switch nationalities.
- The player has played for the country they are leaving only at youth level and was already dual-registered to the country they are joining
- The player has played for the country they are leaving only at youth level, was not dual-registered to the country they are joining, their last international appearance for the country they are leaving came prior to the age of 21, and meets article six or seven of Fifa's player eligibility guidelines
- The player played for the country they are leaving at senior level, were dual-registered with the nation they are joining whilst making their debut for the nation they are leaving, have not played for the country they are leaving since before turning 21, have not played more than three times for the country they are leaving at senior level, three years have passed since their last international appearance, and they have not played for their first nation at a major tournament
- The player wishes to represent a nation that were not Fifa members when they made their debut for the nation they are leaving, have not played for their first nation since the second nation became Fifa members, were either dual-registered or obtained nationality with the nation they wish to join as soon as reasonably practical, and meets article six or seven of Fifa's player eligibility guidelines
- The player has played in a senior match for their first nation but then permanently loses their nationality without their consent due to government authority and holds the association they wish to represent
Taking these rules into account, here are five players who could switch allegiance to Scotland.
Harvey Barnes
Harvey Barnes was asked recently about potentially representing Scotland as qualified via his grandparents. He told Sky Sports:
"It’s not something I’ve really spoken about or put thought into recently. There’s always been talk about it and a while ago there was bits and bobs about it. But recently it’s not cropped up.
“It was great to see them win and get through last night, it was a crazy game, and I’m sure everyone in Scotland enjoyed themselves.
“Is it closed off? No, of course it’s not. I’ve obviously played for England and I know the eligibility side of it is still there so it’s hard to say either way but there’s been no real chats or progression in that sense.”
Barnes has played once for the England senior side, but it was a friendly against Wales.
Archie Gray
Archie Gray comes from a lineage of footballers. He is the son of Andy Gray, the grandson of Frank Gray and the nephew of Eddie Gray, all of whom played for Leeds United in their careers and also represented Scotland.
It was indeed at Leeds that Gray made his name as a promising youngster before making his big-money transfer to Tottenham.
It was a baptism of fire for the young man as injuries meant he was often deployed at centre-back under Ange Postecoglou, and the Australian's system meant that there was almost constant pressure on the player to play out from the back while remaining solid defensively.
In a dismal domestic year for Spurs in 2024/25, he is one of a few players who emerged with credit.
Gray is a stalwart for the England Under-21s, but is yet to make his senior debut for the Three Lions.
Hayden Hackney
Hayden Hackney has been making waves in the Championship with Middlesbrough and some of the Premier League's biggest clubs have been scouting him closely.
At just 23, he has already made well over 100 appearances for Boro and will likely take the next step in his career soon.
Like Archie Gray, he's a regular for the England Under-21s despite being 23. With his age progressing, he may feel like a senior call-up is out of reach which could open the door for Scotland.
However, he may wait until he gets that move away from Boro before decided on his future.
Harry Gray
The younger brother of Archie, Harry is only 17 but has already made his senior debut with Leeds.
Like Archie, Harry is eligible for Scotland through his parents and grandparents.
It seems almost inevitable that Harry will one day play for England as he has represented them at Under-15s, Under-16s and Under-17s level, with an Under-21 call-up likely to be in the pipeline.
Even if he does want to play for Scotland, the 2026 World Cup will probably come too early for him.
Jack Fletcher
Jack Fletcher and his twin brother Tyler are the sons of former Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher, who coaches the Red Devils' Under-18 side.
They were previously part of Manchester City's academy before making the switch to United for a reported combined fee of around £1.25m.
Jack is yet to make his first-team debut for United but has been included in squads by Ruben Amorim so it seems an appearance is coming.
Interestingly, Jack represents England at youth level, while Tyler already represents Scotland.
They have even played on opposite sides when England played Scotland in an Under-19 qualifier.
