Scotland will welcome Ukraine to Hampden in the World Cup play-off semi-finals, but face an away tie in either Wales or Austria if they make it to the final.
Steve Clarke’s men were paired with Ukraine in Friday afternoon’s draw in Zurich.
They were first out of the hat and placed into Path A’s first semi-final tie, with Wales facing Austria in semi-final two.
A further draw determined that the winner of the second semi-final would host the final.
The dates
The semi-finals will take place on March 24-25, with the finals slated for March 28-29.
The three winners will head to the World Cup, which kicks off in Qatar on November 21.
The road to Qatar
Scotland sealed a seeded spot in the draw with a 2-0 win over Denmark earlier this month in the World Cup qualifiers.
Finishing second in the group with 23 points out of 30 led to a spot in the play-offs.
To qualify for the World Cup, Scotland will first of all have to win the semi-final at Hampden.
Should we emerge victorious from our Semi-Final we will face the winner of Wales v Austria away from home. pic.twitter.com/53tec2JLKy
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) November 26, 2021
First out in the draw, they face Ukraine in semi-final one of Path A.
Should Steve Clarke’s men win, then they will play away at the winners of semi-final two, Wales v Austria.
Scotland beat Austria away in the qualifying group, and drew with them at Hampden.
Sir Kenny Dalglish: We should not be fearful of any side that we may draw
Play-off fixtures in full
Semi-final 1
Scotland v Ukraine
Winner plays winner of:
Semi-final 2
Wales v Austria
Semi-final 3
Russia v Poland
Winner plays winner of:
Semi-final 4
Sweden v Czech Republic
Semi-final 5
Italy v North Macedonia
Winner plays winner of:
Semi-final 6
Portugal v Turkey
How to see the game
The Scottish FA say ticket details for the Hampden game will be released in due course.
The game will be broadcast on Sky Sports, but the SNP’s Ian Blackford and Gavin Newlands have called for the game to be shown on free-to-air TV.
A letter from the MPs to Sky Sports managing director Jonathan Licht said every Scotland fan deserved the chance to see the game without having to pay a subscription fee.
They referred to Emma Raducanu’s US Open final win, which saw Amazon strike a deal to show it live on Channel 4.
The letter from the MPs said: “Throughout the qualifying campaign, Steve Clarke’s team have brought us on a joyous journey that has united the Scottish public in support for these players and their dream of representing Scotland at the World Cup next year.
“These play-off games in March next year now represent the final steps in that journey.
“They will be truly national events that deserve to be enjoyed without cost, constraint, or restriction.
“We are therefore proposing that these play-off matches involving the Scottish team – both the semi-finals and final – are made available free to air on one of your television platforms.
“This would ensure that every Scotland fan has the chance to watch these crucial matches without the need to pay a subscription fee. Households are already experiencing mounting bills across the board – they should not be forced to pay to watch this national event.
“Obviously, there are a number of precedents for taking this step, the most recent being the decision to broadcast free to air Emma Raducanu’s remarkable achievement in winning the US Open final in September.
“We believe it is only right that a similar decision is taken in terms of broadcasting this major sporting event.
“Such a decision would naturally be met with the gratitude of Scottish fans and generate invaluable positive publicity.”
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