Scotland remains on the brink of making history after finishing third in Group C following a 3-0 defeat to Brazil, but their fate now rests in the hands of other teams.

Vinicius Junior opened the scoring after a mistake from Scott McKenna, who was caught in possession. Rayan assisted Vinicius for a simple tap-in after rounding the goalkeeper. Vinicius added a second just before half-time, and Matheus Cunha sealed the win with a third goal on the hour mark.

Steve Clarke’s side started strong with a victory over Haiti but faced a 1-0 loss to Morocco before succumbing to Brazil, leaving them with just three points. To qualify for the knockout rounds, Scotland needs at least four third-placed teams to finish with fewer than three points or a worse goal difference than theirs (-3).

The scenarios for Scotland’s qualification are complex:

• Group A: Mexico must beat the Czech Republic, and South Korea should defeat South Africa.
• Group B: Bosnia and Herzegovina already sits above Scotland with four points.
• Group D: Australia and Paraguay must draw or one must lose to keep their points lower.
• Group E: Ecuador and Curacao need to lose to Germany and Ivory Coast respectively.
• Group F: Japan must win against Sweden without improving their goal difference above Scotland’s.
• Group G: A win for Egypt against Iran is crucial.
• Group H: Spain needs to beat Uruguay to limit the third-placed team to two points.
• Group I: A draw between Senegal and Iraq would be ideal.
• Group J: An Austria win against Algeria is necessary, or a draw to keep Algeria below Scotland.
• Group K: A draw or narrow win for Uzbekistan against DR Congo is preferred.
• Group L: Scotland hopes for a favorable result between Croatia and Ghana.

If Scotland manages to qualify, they will face Group A winners Mexico in the last-32. A victory could set them up for a potential clash against England in the round of 16, and possibly a rematch with Brazil in the quarter-finals if they continue their journey.