Scotland news conference with Ryan Christie
World Cup 2026: England begin their tournament at 21:00 BST against Croatia - listen to full commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live
Who should start for England v Croatia? Have your say by using the Get Involved button below
How different will England play under Thomas Tuchel at the World Cup?
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal are in action before then, taking on DR Congo at 18:00 BST - predict the scores of the upcoming games here
False nines? 4-4-2? The tactical trends defining World Cup so far
Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland in Boston
Right folks, that's all from our live page here. Thank you for joining us throughout the day.
Portugal v Congo is up next, which you can of course follow live here with us on the BBC Sport website. Apparently there's another game later...
Away to do a week's worth of laundry. Catch you later!
Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland in Boston
That's it from Ryan as he takes questions for the newspapers from The Herald's Stephen McGowan.
I believe Stephen's flying solo. I know this as the rest of the press pack have just got out a taxi in front of me at the hotel in Boston...
Scotland v Morocco (Fri, 23:00 BST)
Scotland
Scotland midfielder Ryan Christie, when asked to sum up his time with the Scotland national team so far:
"I was delighted to get my first cap, it was an absolute dream come true," said Christie.
"I never envisioned playing at a Euros, never mind a World Cup.
"It’s been an incredible journey, loved every moment of it with the coach and the players I’ve got to do it with.
"When you come away to tournaments like this, it makes you try so much to soak it in and enjoy it because it’s something I never expected to be part of."
Image source, Getty ImagesScotland v Morocco (Fri, 23:00 BST)
Scotland
Scotland midfielder Ryan Christie, on what Scotland's strategy is: "We want to be equally, if not more organised and it is something that the gaffer has been on [about], since he came, in is our structure especially with possession. Hopefully when we come up against the big teams we can cause them problems ourselves."
Scotland v Morocco (Fri, 23:00 BST)
Scotland
Scotland midfielder Ryan Christie, on who he would like to link up with in midfield:
"It’s tough to know what the manager is going to do as he keeps his cards close to his chest," said Christie.
"I am ready to play whenever he needs me, I’ve got such faith in the manager and for what he sees in me and where he sees me helping the team best.
"Wherever I play I'll be happy to chip in and playing alongside the boys who are already in there, it’s a pretty star-studded midfield, so it makes my job easier."
Image source, Getty ImagesScotland v Morocco (Fri, 23:00 BST)
Scotland
Scotland midfielder Ryan Christie, on what the down time is like between games: "What we take confidence from is we have come up against teams that are as good as Morocco and that is where we can draw confidence from.
"We are not naive enough to think that we are going to dominate possession and limit them to zero changes but we want to limit those numbers and take the chance when we can, to hurt them."
Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland in Boston
Ryan Christie saying he thinks Scotland can be this World Cup's standout underdogs.
More of this chat please, despite the fact it strikes fear into my very soul.
Scotland v Morocco (Fri, 23:00 BST)
Scotland
Scotland midfielder Ryan Christie on what the downtime is like between games: "It is amazing to be part of this and play in it. You get the days when you kinda chill out and turn into a spectator and chill with the boys.
"Like last night we were watching Messi, it was incredible. It is surreal to be honest."
Image source, Getty ImagesScotland v Morocco (Fri, 23:00BST)
Scotland
Scotland midfielder Ryan Christie, on whether the pressure is off the squad for the game against Morocco on Friday:
"We put the pressure on ourselves. Everyone said we are desperate to get out the group."
"It’s a tough group when you look across all the groups and all the games so far.
"The standard from the other game was very high, so it's going to be a very tough game on Friday, I think we knew that going into the draw.
"Looking forward to it and we put pressure on ourselves to get out the group."
Image source, Getty ImagesScott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland in Boston
Here we go.
Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland in Boston
We're now getting some random noises into a mic. Progress.
C'mon Mr Christie...
Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland in Boston
An observation after spending a week in Boston. The Americans fair love a sign.
Walking out our hotel and it’s hard not to miss them. Think if I was driving here I’d have ploughed into the Charles River by now trying to read them.
Image source, Scott MullenScott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland in Boston
Watching Austria v Jordan at 01:42 on Mexican telly in Boston while at a World Cup with a Scotland team above Brazil would not have been on my 2026 bingo card a year ago.
Life comes at you fast.
BBC Sounds
Lionel Messi has once again set a standard for his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo to try and emulate.
The Portuguese captain will no doubt be determined to keep pace with the flying starts of Golden Boot contenders Messi, Haaland and Mbappe. He begins his campaign against DR Congo this evening (18:00 BST).
In the meantime, you can check out a new four-part series exploring the Messi vs Ronaldo rivalry. Steve Crossman and Guillem Balague examine how their competition has shaped modern football – from Ballon d’Or battles to club dominance and international legacy.
Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland in Boston
Currently staring at empty chair still...
Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland in Boston
Afternoon from Boston!
Scotland
After scoring the goal against Haiti which gave Scotland their first World Cup win since 1990, John McGinn says the squad are not getting ahead of themselves as they meet Morocco on Friday.
"There is a business feel in the camp," the Aston Villa midfielder said.
"We were gutted after Germany [Euro 2024]. I know the fans had a great experience, just being back at a major tournament with fans.
"But we left with an emptiness and feeling of could we have done x, y or z differently.
"What we did now by winning the [qualifying] group was we had time to prepare properly and in the best possible way.
"We’ve left no stone unturned and the staff have been first class. The players are focussed on doing the job in hand.
"If we do achieve something special we will celebrate it, but until that is achieved we will purely be on business here."
Image source, PA MediaScotland
Scotland head coach Steve Clarkeis demanding better from his team with the ball when they face Morocco on Friday.
Despite beating Haiti in their opener, Scotland had less than half of the ball against a side ranked well below them.
Clarke says that part of the team's game will have to imrpve against the 2022 semi-finalists.
"We didn't create enough chances against Haiti," he said. "Hopefully we can do that against a really good Moroccan side.
"Sometimes when you play against a team, and I'm pretty sure that Morocco will dominate the ball, but sometimes if you can find the right moments to break and get out and get at them, then you can cause them problems as well.
"Different Scotland, hopefully different in possession and the same resilience and determination in defence."
Scotland v Morocco (Fri, 23:00 BST)
Scotland
Scotland are top of Group C after the first round of fixtures, following their 1-0 win over Haiti and Morocco's 1-1 draw with Brazil.
The Scots remain in Boston for their next match against Morocco, who are ranked seventh in the world, while Brazil face Haiti in Philadelphia at 01:30 BST on Saturday, 20 June.
Scotland v Morocco (Fri, 23:00 BST)
Scotland
Glad you could join us for Scotland's latest news conference as Steve Clarke's side build up to their second group game against Morocco, which will kick off in Boston on Friday at 23:00 BST.
Bournemouth midfielder Ryan Christie is facing the media today.
The 31-year-old came on as a substitute in the second half of Scotland's opening 1-0 win over Haiti.
Remember, avoiding defeat against Morocco should guarantee Scotland's place in the knockout rounds of the World Cup for the first time in their history.
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | -6 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
|
