Scotland called off a behind-closed-doors training match against Norway scheduled for Monday, June 8, 2026, citing minor player injuries as the reason for cancellation [1, 2, 3, 4]. Both teams were preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with camps based in North Carolina, USA [1, 2, 3, 4].
The match had been arranged months ago to provide fringe players with match practice ahead of the tournament [2, 3, 4]. Scotland head coach Steve Clarke said, "It was just going to be a training game for an hour at our training ground. We picked up one or two niggles last week and decided it wasn't worth the risk" to the players [1].
Billy Gilmour's injury in a recent friendly, which ruled him out of the World Cup, contributed to Scotland's cautious approach [4]. Scotland midfielder John McGinn defended the decision, saying most of the squad did not see the Norwegian criticism and emphasizing the importance of protecting the team after recent injuries [4].
Norwegian head coach Ståle Solbakken condemned the cancellation as "unprofessional" and expressed surprise that Scotland's coach had not personally called to cancel. Solbakken said, "They use the team manager and call and say it after we have finished training... It's disappointing. It's unprofessional" [1]. Norway's team manager Brede Hangeland called the cancellation "embarrassing" and "weak," noting the extensive prior planning for the fixture [1, 4]. Norwegian striker Alexander Sorloth described the withdrawal as a "great shame and quite unprofessional" [2, 3].
The Scottish Football Association noted Clarke and Solbakken never discussed the fixture, as it was arranged by team administrators [4]. Norway was notified late on June 7, the day before the match, after they played a 1-1 draw against Morocco in New Jersey [1, 2, 3]. Scotland had completed a 4-0 friendly victory over Bolivia on June 6 [1, 2, 3].
Norway is set to start its 2026 World Cup Group I campaign against Iraq on June 16, while Scotland will open Group C against Haiti on June 14 [1, 2, 3].
