Scotland completed their World Cup build-up in style with a 4-0 victory over Bolivia, powered by a dominant first half. Lawrence Shankland, Scott McTominay and a double from Che Adams delivered all four goals before the break, giving Steve Clarke a convincing final test ahead of the opening Group C match against Haiti on 14 June.
The result followed a 4-1 success against Curacao and took Scotland’s tally to eight goals from two warm-up fixtures. That output, against opponents from different confederations, offered encouragement before meetings with Haiti, Brazil and the remaining Group C side, and suggested a team confident of challenging past records at the World Cup finals.
Scotland took control early at Sports Illustrated Stadium. After only
five minutes, Andy Robertson swung a clipped cross to the far post. Shankland met it with a powerful header, outjumping the Bolivia defence and directing the ball beyond Guillermo Viscarra to set the tone for the evening.
Clarke’s side kept Bolivia pinned back after that opener. The pressure brought reward again in the 23rd minute when McTominay, making a 70th appearance for Scotland, drove in a low effort. Viscarra could not hold the strike, and the ball slipped under the goalkeeper’s body into the bottom-left corner.
Adams extended the advantage seven minutes later. Ben Gannon-Doak broke down the flank and sent a teasing pass across the face of goal. Adams arrived in front of goal and finished from close range. The Torino striker then struck again on the stroke of half-time to complete a clinical first period.
That second goal from Adams meant Scotland scored four times before half-time in an international for the first time since a 2015 meeting with Gibraltar. The frontline movement and accurate deliveries troubled Bolivia throughout the half, while Scotland controlled possession and limited breaks towards Angus Gunn’s penalty area.
Shankland’s opener added to a productive run at international level. The forward became the first Scotland player to score in three straight appearances for the national team since Lyndon Dykes in October 2021, when Dykes managed four in a row. In aerial duels, Shankland’s heading numbers also stood out.
Only Steven Fletcher, with five, and Christophe Berra, with four, have recorded more headed goals on record for Scotland than Shankland’s current total of three. The performance against Bolivia therefore strengthened Shankland’s claim for a starting role when Scotland line up against Haiti in that first Group C fixture.
McTominay continued a strong scoring stretch as well. Since the start of 2023, the Napoli midfielder has produced 16 direct goal contributions for Scotland, with 12 goals and two assists. That figure is seven more than any other Scotland player in the same period and highlights a key threat arriving from midfield.
McTominay’s strike in this match was the 15th of the midfielder’s Scotland career. Only seven footballers have scored more goals for the national team across its history, emphasising McTominay’s importance to Clarke’s current system and giving future World Cup opponents, including Brazil, further tactical issues to consider.
Scotland vs Bolivia World Cup warm-up statistics and other results
Metrics reflected Scotland’s dominance. The team registered 20 shots, eight of them on target, and finished with an expected goals figure of 3.07. Bolivia managed seven attempts towards Gunn’s net, but their xG total reached only 0.2, underlining how few clear openings the visitors created across the ninety minutes.
After the interval, Scotland kept pushing for a fifth goal. Shankland had a major chance just after the hour when Kieran Tierney sent in a precise cross, yet the striker shot wide. Later, substitutes Ross Stewart and George Hirst also went close, although the scoreline from the first half had already decided the contest.
FULL TIME: Bolivia 0-4 Scotland. A big win and a clean sheet in our final @FIFAWorldCup warm-up match.#BOLSCO | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/BcLtfl3iFQScotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) June 6, 2026
The broader World Cup warm-up schedule included a 1-1 draw between Panama and Bosnia-Herzegovina at Energizer Park. Nikola Katic gave Bosnia-Herzegovina the lead, but Jiovany Ramos equalised during first-half stoppage time, leaving both nations assessing their preparations differently from Scotland’s confident Scotland vs Bolivia World Cup warm-up display.
Scotland have never progressed beyond the group stage in any of eight previous World Cup appearances, and this edition is the first finals since 1998. After scoring four against Curacao and another four versus Bolivia, plus recalling a 4-2 victory over Chile in June 1977, Clarke’s players now head towards Group C with growing belief.
