The Scotland women's national football team represents Scotland in international women's football competitions. Since 1998, the team has been governed by the Scottish Football Association (SFA). Scotland qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup for the first time in 2019, and for their first UEFA Women's Championship in 2017. As of June 2025, the team was placed 24th in the FIFA Women's World Rankings, their highest ranking being 19th in March 2014 and September 2018 respectively.
Although most national football teams represent a sovereign state, as a member of the United Kingdom's Home Nations, Scotland is permitted by FIFA statutes to maintain its own national side that competes in all major tournaments, with the exception of the Women's Olympic Football Tournament. Scotland is scheduled to co–host the 2035 FIFA Women's World Cup and gained automatic qualification to the tournament as a result being co–hosts.
History Church documents recorded women playing football in Carstairs, Lanarkshire, in 1628. Scotland first played a women's international match in May 1881. Women's football struggled for recognition during this early period and was banned by the football authorities in 1921. Club sides who were interested in using their grounds for women's football were subsequently denied permission by the Scottish Football Association (SFA). The sport continued on an unofficial basis until the 1970s, when the ban was lifted. In 1971 UEFA instructed its members to take control of women's football within their territories. The motion was passed 31–1, but Scotland was the only member to vote against it. Football in Scotland has traditionally been seen as a working class and male preserve.
Scotland's first official match, a 3–2 defeat to England, took place in November 1972. The team was managed by Rab Stewart. The 1921 ban on women's football was lifted in 1974, and the SFA assumed direct responsibility for Scottish women's football in 1998. Scotland have participated in most international competitions since the ban was removed. The team reached an all-time high of 19th place in the FIFA Women's World Rankings in March 2014. They reached their first major tournament finals when they qualified for UEFA Women's Euro 2017.
The team followed this up by qualifying for their first World Cup finals tournament in 2019. Following their qualification, the Scottish Government announced they would provide funding to allow all the players to train full-time in the lead up to the World Cup, a welcome announcement as several players do not play professionally. Their final home match (against Jamaica) before the 2019 World Cup saw a record attendance for the national team of 18,555. Claire Emslie scored Scotland's first World Cup goal, netting in a 2–1 defeat against England on 9 June. After losing their second game, 2–1 against Japan, Scotland needed to win their third game against Argentina to qualify for the last 16 as a third-placed team. They appeared to be heading for qualification when they took a 3–0 lead, but they conceded three late goals to draw 3–3 and exited at the group stage.
Three consecutive 1–0 defeats in qualification (two by Finland and one by Portugal) prevented Scotland from qualifying for UEFA Women's Euro 2022. Head coach Shelley Kerr, who had guided the team to their appearance at the 2019 World Cup, left her position following this failure.
Pedro Martínez Losa was appointed manager in July 2021, ahead of the first 2023 World Cup qualifiers. The team failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, losing a playoff final to the Republic of Ireland.
In December 2022 the players, led by team captain Rachel Corsie, instigated a complaint regarding gender inequality of pay and treatment by the SFA. Although the players are not employed directly by the SFA, they are paid out of a "player appearance pot". The case was settled in September 2023, before an employment tribunal was due to start its proceedings.
Home stadium
The first official match played by the Scotland women's team was hosted by the Ravenscraig Stadium, an athletics facility in Greenock. Until 2020 the team normally played its home games at (men's) club stadiums around the country. Venues used included Fir Park in Motherwell, Tynecastle Park and Easter Road in Edinburgh, and St Mirren Park in Paisley.
Hampden Park in Glasgow is the traditional home of the men's national team and is described by the Scottish Football Association as the National Stadium. A Scotland women's international was played at Hampden for the first time in October 2012, when it hosted the first leg of a European Championship qualifying playoff against Spain. Earlier in 2012, Hampden had hosted matches in the Olympic women's football tournament. In May 2019 the team attracted a record attendance for a women's football match in Scotland, when 18,555 were present at Hampden for a World Cup warm-up friendly with Jamaica.
In July 2021 the SFA announced that all of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification home matches would be played at Hampden, making it the regular home ground.
Media coverage Scotland women's internationals have been televised by BBC Alba and broadcast by BBC Radio Scotland. BBC Radio Scotland presenter Tam Cowan was temporarily taken off the air in 2013, after he criticised the use of Fir Park for women's internationals in his Daily Record column. In a November 2013 interview with The Independent newspaper, Laura Montgomery of Glasgow City FC suggested that media coverage of women's football in Scotland often reflected sexist and misogynist attitudes. This is due to a preponderance of "stupid male journalists", according to Montgomery.
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Legend
2025
2026
Coaching staff Current staff
PositionStaffHead coach Melissa AndreattaAssistant coaches Stuart Glennie Leanne RossGoalkeeper coach Fraser Stewart
Head coaches NameTenureRefs Rab Stewart 1972–1974 Elsie Cook 1974 John Pollatschek 1979–1985 Margaret McGough 1989 Jim Fleeting 1998 Vera Pauw 1998–2004 Anna Signeul 2005–2017 Shelley Kerr 2017–2020 Stuart McLaren (interim) 2021 Pedro Martínez Losa 2021–2024 Michael McArdle (interim) 2025 Melissa Andreatta 2025–
Players
Current squad
The following players were called up for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification playoff matches against Czech Republic on 9 and 13 October 2026.
Caps and goals correct as of 9 June 2026, after the second match against Israel.
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up to the squad within the past 12 months.
Notes
= Withdrew due to injury
Honoured players
The SFA operates a roll of honour for every female player who has made more than 50 appearances (initially 100) for Scotland. The Scottish Football Museum operates a hall of fame, based at Hampden Park, which is open to players and managers involved in Scottish football. Rose Reilly (2007) and Julie Fleeting (2018) are the only women to be inducted so far. Sportscotland operates the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame, which has inducted some footballers, also including Reilly.
Records
Players in bold are still active with the national team.
Most capped players RankPlayerCareerCapsGoals1Gemma Fay1998–201720302Joanne Love2002–2019189133Rachel Corsie2009–2025155204Jane Ross2009–2024151625Jen Beattie2008–2022143246Kim Little2007–2021140597Leanne Ross2006–201713698Pauline Hamill1992–2010132299Megan Sneddon2002–2014128410Ifeoma Dieke2004–20171230
Top goalscorers RankPlayerCareerGoalsCapsAvg.1Julie Fleeting1996–20151161182Jane Ross2009–2024621513Kim Little2007–2021591404Caroline Weir2013–present311215Pauline Hamill1992–2010291326Erin Cuthbert2016–present25877Jen Beattie2008–2022241438Martha Thomas2020–present21529Rachel Corsie2009–20252015510Lisa Evans2011–202417115
Competitive record
World Cup
Scotland is set to co-host the 2035 FIFA Women's World Cup along with the three other countries in the United Kingdom, earning them automatic qualification as co-host.
YearFinal TournamentQualificationRoundRound 1991Did not enterDid not enter 1995Did not qualifyGroup – 4thThe European Championship acted as a qualification tournament for the World Cup.6006322 1999Unable to qualifyScotland were in "Class B" of European qualification and were therefore unable to earn qualification for the World Cup finals.Unable to qualify 2003 2007Did not qualifyGroup – 3rd8224420 2011Group – 2nd8611245 2015Play-offs128043812 2019Group – 4th 301257Group – 1st8701197 2023Did not qualifyPlay-offs106132314 2027To be determinedTo be determined 2031To be determinedTo be determined 2035QualifiedQualified as co-hostTotal 2/12 3 0 1 2 5 7Total 46 26 3 17 99 67
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
FIFA Women's World Cup historyYearRoundDateOpponentResultStadium 2019Group stage9 JuneL 1–2Allianz Riviera, Nice14 JuneL 1–2Roazhon Park, Rennes19 JuneD 3–3Parc des Princes, Paris
Olympic Games
At the Olympic Games the International Olympic Committee charter only permit a Great Britain team, representing the whole of the United Kingdom, to compete. As London hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics, a Great Britain team was entered and two Scotland players (Kim Little and Ifeoma Dieke) were selected for the squad.
The FA indicated in June 2013 that they would be prepared to run women's teams at future Olympic tournaments, subject to one of the home nations meeting the qualification criteria (i.e. being one of the top three European nations at the Women's World Cup). Following objections from the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish football associations, and a commitment from FIFA that they would not allow entry of a British team unless all four Home Nations agreed, the FA said they would not seek entry into the 2016 tournament.
In October 2018, an agreement was reached between the four associations ahead of the 2020 tournament, and qualification was secured by England reaching the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup; Kim Little and Caroline Weir were the Scottish players selected for the squad.
England's performance in the Nations League determined whether Great Britain would qualify for the 2024 Olympics. England and Scotland were drawn in the same Nations League group, which created a potential conflict of interest for the Scottish players. The teams met in the last game of the group, when a 6–0 win for England was insufficient to keep Olympic qualification hopes alive.
European Championship
YearFinal TournamentQualificationRoundRound1984Did not qualify Group – 2nd631298 – 1987Group – 2nd64022410 1989Group – 4thWithdrew 1991Did not enterDid not enter 1993Did not qualify Group – 3rd401315 –1995Group – 4th6006322/ 1997Unable to qualifyScotland were in "Class B" of European qualification and were therefore unable to earn qualification for the European Championship finals.Unable to qualify 2001 2005Did not qualifyGroup – 3rd840419 – 2009Play-offs104151911 2013Play-offs105232416 2017Group – 3rd310228 Group – 2nd8701307 2022Did not qualifyGroup E8404265 2025Play-offs1072118318th 2029To be determinedTotals 1/14 3 1 0 2 2 8Totals 76 38 7 31 173 103 18th
UEFA Women's Championship historyYearRoundDateOpponentResultStadium 2017Group stage19 JulyL 0–6Stadion Galgenwaard, Utrecht23 JulyL 1–2Sparta Stadion, Rotterdam27 JulyW 1–0De Adelaarshorst, Deventer
Nations League When the UEFA Women's Nations League was inaugurated in 2023–24, Scotland were allocated to League A. After the first edition, they were relegated to League B for Women's Euro 2025 qualifying, but secured promotion back to League A for the 2025 edition.
UEFA Women's Nations League recordSeasonLeagueGroupRank2023–24A1602431515th 2025A1 Totals6024315 15th
Promoted at end of season No movement at end of season Relegated at end of season * Participated in promotion/relegation play-offs
Unofficial competitions World Cup