After 28 long years, the Tartan Army are finally back on duty at World Cup finals!

Published: 20:29, 7 June 2026 | Updated: 20:29, 7 June 2026 They have waited 28 years to reclaim their place at the world’s most colourful footballing show and the Tartan Army are already revelling in their return to the big stage. An advance guard made their presence felt at the weekend as they descended en masse on America to get the party started ahead of the World Cup finals getting under way this week. Up to 30,000 Tartan Army footsoldiers are expected to make the journey to support Steve Clarke’s team at the tournament, which starts this Thursday. And on Saturday, as Scotland ended their warm-up campaign with a convincing 4-0 win over Bolivia, in New Jersey, thanks to goals from Lawrence Shankland, Scott McTominay and a Che Adams double, the fans who have already arrived in the States swarmed the local bars to celebrate. The kilts, bagpipes, and Tam O’Shanter hats were out in force despite the mercury going past 30C as bemused Americans looked on while the fans sang and chanted long into the evening. Even more Scots are expected to arrive on America’s East Coast every day this week before making their way to Boston ahead of Scotland’s opener against Haiti on Sunday, with kick-off at 2am UK time. Bars in the city have promised to give the internationally renowned fans a warm welcome and have stocked up on beer with the supporters’ anthem of No Scotland No Party already being heard around town. A dedicated Scottish bar in Boston has even ordered more than 100 kegs of Tennent’s Lager in preparation for the arrival of the Tartan Army. Scotland fans celebrate the win over Bolivia at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey The 4-0 win was more than enough to put a smile on the faces of the Tartan Army faithful It has been calculated that at least 5.2m million pints of beer will be downed at official venues and fan zones during the tournament – enough to fill more than 1,200 Olympic swimming pool. Back home, Scots are expected to spend nearly £100 each on food and drink while watching matches, according to financial services experts Novuna Finance. However, there had also been reports of FIFA not allowing fans to take reusable water bottles into stadiums, but it has now clarified that sealed water bottles are allowed. This year marks the first time since France 98 that the Scotland team has appeared at the World Cup. The Tartan Army were last on major manoeuvres for Euro 2024 in Germany, when the Scots were voted the best supporters at the tournament – winning by a landslide in the poll of German TV viewers. One commented: ‘It’s been brilliant seeing the Scots having the time of their life.’ Scotland players took time to reflect on a visit to the 9/11 memorial in New York The advance party of fans in the US has already received praise again, with one American spectator saying of the Bolivia match: ‘Although it wasn’t a large crowd it’s honestly one of the best football experiences I’ve had just because of how welcoming the Scottish fans are… lovely people. ‘Scotland are now my dark horse for the World Cup!’ After Haiti, Clarke’s men will face Morocco, also in Boston, on June 19, before the fans head to Miami for the final group stage match against Brazil on June 24. Also joining the supporters heading Stateside to back the national team are First Minister John Swinney and Sports Minister Maree Todd, who will both attend in an official capacity. Mr Swinney will watch the Haiti game in Boston and says he will combine the trip with ‘other commitments around investment and economic activity’. However, there has also been controversy after it emerged Transport Minister Stephen Flynn and Community Care Minister Alison Thewliss have been given permission to go despite Holyrood still sitting. The finals run from June 11 to July 19 but the Scottish parliament summer recess doesn’t start until June 27. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.