10 Glorious Scotland International Football Failures

Scotland got handed a group at France '98 that was always going to be a nightmare to negotiate. Being drawn against Brazil in Group A meant that Scotland would actually open the tournament at the Stade de France with the world watching. John Collins' penalty cancelled out an early Cesar Sampaio header, and just when it looked like Scotland might pull off a major upset along the lines of Cameroon at Italia 90, Tom Boyd's hit into his own net. It felt like a sign of things to come.

Craig Burley's lobbed equaliser against Norway in Bordeaux was an inspired moment in an otherwise turgid affair. All Scotland needed was to beat Morocco, and assume Brazil would not lose to Norway, and they would finally make the knockout stages.

In the end, Norway's surprising 2-1 win against the Brazilians meant this game was a dead rubber. But by the time we knew that, Scotland had killed it off themselves. A Salaheddine Bassir double either side of a Jim Leighton howler send Scotland home. Del Amitri's 'Don't Come Home Too Soon' theme song for the campaign was a far cry from Ally's Army 20 years earlier, but the result was the same.