Scotland host Curaçao in a World Cup warm-up friendly at Hampden Park on Thursday 28 May 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 1pm and live coverage on BBC1 Scotland and iPlayer.
George Hirst, 27, is expected to add to his international appearances when he joins the squad for the match; he arrives having won eight full caps and scored once for his country.
The squad have been training at Little Hampden this week as they complete final preparations on home soil. After the Curaçao fixture the team will travel to Inter Miami’s Florida Blue Training Center for a second camp ahead of their final warm-up match.
That final friendly comes in a week’s time when Scotland play Bolivia at New Jersey’s Sports Illustrated Arena, the last outing before the squad relocate to their tournament base in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Scotland will be based at Charlotte FC’s Atrium Health Performance Park for the World Cup. Their group opens against Haiti on Sunday 14 June at Foxborough (2am UK), followed by Morocco at the same venue on Friday 19 June (11pm UK), and Brazil in Miami on Wednesday 24 June (11pm UK).
Curaçao provide an unusual test: they are the smallest nation ever to have qualified for the finals, marking a rare—and potentially unpredictable—opponent in the final stretch of Scotland’s preparations.
Broadcast details are straightforward for UK viewers: the game is on BBC1 Scotland and streamed on iPlayer. The fixture gives fringe and squad players valuable match minutes ahead of the trip to Florida and the final selection decisions.
Managerial selection for the friendly has not been disclosed, but Hirst’s presence in the matchday plans is the clearest confirmed development for supporters tracking who might press for a World Cup berth. His addition would be a practical opportunity to increase his minutes and stake a claim for a role at the finals.
The single most consequential unanswered question after Thursday is simple: will George Hirst start at Hampden and, if given the chance, will he open his account at home to influence Scotland’s final choices before they fly to the United States?
