Steve Clarke's side have 15 points in Group A after winning five out of six Euro 2024 qualifiers; Clarke has led Scotland to back-to-back European Championships; Scotland face France away in a friendly on Tuesday before final qualifiers in November against Georgia and Norway
Monday 16 October 2023 18:21, UK
Scotland have qualified for Euro 2024 after Norway failed to beat Spain, meaning Steve Clarke's side can not be overtaken by both of their Group A rivals.
Having claimed five wins from their opening six games - Scotland only needed Spain to take a point in Oslo, meaning Norway would finish on a maximum of 14 points, and therefore miss out on a top-two spot.
However, days after beating Scotland in Seville, Spain won 1-0 and now lead Group A on goal difference from Scotland.
Following Tuesday's friendly in France, next month Scotland head to Georgia before hosting Norway in their final qualifiers, while Spain are in Cyprus and end their qualification campaign at home to Georgia.
Having ended a 22-year wait to qualify for a major finals at Euro 2020 - head coach Steve Clarke has now led Scotland to back-to-back European Championships.
"I would like to congratulate the players for their efforts in qualifying for back-to-back tournaments," said Clarke. "I'm not sure they will fully realise the significance of their achievement yet but to qualify for successive Euros after more than 20 years is phenomenal and testament to their hard work.
"I would also like to thank my backroom team for their support and, of course, the fans who have packed Hampden Park to capacity and made it a place to be feared once again.
"They have played a key part in our success, both home and away, and they can now look forward to making their plans for Germany - although I suspect many had done so before tonight.
"I said after Euro 2020 that we wanted to be serial qualifiers again and reaching successive Euro finals shows the progress we've made. We will raise a glass tonight to celebrate but then it's back to work tomorrow in preparation for our friendly against France.
"Then we turn our attention to Georgia and Norway next month and finishing with as many points as we can."
Scotland made a blistering start to their campaign with back-to-back wins, first seeing off Cyprus before Scott McTominay's double downed Spain at home in March.
They then pulled off a narrow away win over Erling Haaland's Norway before a rain-soaked Hampden Park saw Clarke's side beat Georgia in June.
A comprehensive 3-0 victory against Cyprus in Larnaca maintained their winning run as they moved onto 15 points.
While a first defeat against Spain in Seville delayed the Tartan Army's celebrations, flights can be booked and Scotland are off to Germany next summer after Norway failed to beat Spain in Oslo.
Gary McAllister - who captained Scotland at Euro 96 - has praised the job head coach Clarke has done since taking over in 2019.
"Clarke looks to have created a domestic club situation where everybody generally wants to turn up and wants to play," he said.
"That was a problem a few years ago when people there was a lot of injuries, a lot of call-offs.
"Now everybody wants to be part of the success that Scotland are producing on the pitch because not only are they getting the points, I think the performance level is really high as well. I think he's creating something like what Craig Brown did.
"Clarke's developed a style and we're particularly strong across the middle of the park with some really good midfield players that are really showing that they can compete against the very best.
"We're blessed in the middle of the pitch and it's always strange to see the criticism Scott McTominay takes when he features from Manchester United.
"He does an amazing job for Scotland and when I see him play for United, I don't think it does a lot wrong for them either.
"It just seems to be a wee bit of the whipping boy at Manchester United, maybe he's not a fashionable name and he plays for Scotland but if he just keeps plugging away, he's a top player. I really do like him.
"I spent a short period of time with John McGinn at Aston Villa. He's a natural leader and somebody who's taken on that responsibility with the national team and also he is a player who proves he can score a goal and he can make a goal.
"So he's is very crucial for Steve Clarke and Callum McGregor at Celtic is an outstanding footballer too."
October 17: France (a), friendly, 8pm
November 16: Georgia (a), Euro 2024 qualifier, kick-off 5pm
November 19: Norway (h), Euro 2024 qualifier, kick-off 7.45pm
