World Cup 2026: Lewis Ferguson stands out as a key player for Scotland

Eight years ago, Lewis Ferguson left Hamilton Academical. A promising 18-year-old, he excelled in the small Lanarkshire side, commanding midfield alongside Darian MacKinnon and Ross Jenkins. Now, on Wednesday, he could become his country's key man when facing Matheus Cunha, Vinicius Jr and Casemiro, with the mission of making history for Scotland.

After two group stage matches, Ferguson has probably been Steve Clarke's most influential player. But how did he manage to emerge from the shadow of Tartan Army idols like Scott McTominay and John McGinn to become such an important part of the team?

Ferguson has come a long way since his days at Accies. A successful spell at Aberdeen took him to Serie A, where he became Bologna captain. He already has four seasons in Italy and a Coppa Italia under his belt, so it's not a surprising choice. However, selection calls were infrequent due to competition in the squad.

However, bad luck can open doors. Billy Gilmour's knee injury during a friendly against Curacao last month left a gap in Steve Clarke's squad as a contention player behind McTominay. Ferguson performed this role excellently. Against Morocco, he managed to break through the African line 15 times, more than any Scottish player, and offered to receive passes 76 times during the match. For comparison purposes, the second highest number was 35, by Che Adams.


"The part about being selfless, I like," Ferguson told BBC Scotland. "I'm representing my country – I'll play any role. I played that a lot when I was younger. The coach found a role that suits me. You do a lot of the dirty work – covering space, protecting teammates behind you, feeding players in front. Tackles, duels – that's part of my game. It's fundamental within the team. The games have been very physical and I've enjoyed that."

Football runs through the veins of the Ferguson family. His father, Derek, is a former Rangers, Hearts and Sunderland midfielder, with two Scotland caps. Uncle Barry was also a great player, captaining Rangers and the Scottish national team, and is considered one of the best players of the modern era not to have gone as far as his nephew in a major tournament. "He's in Miami. I texted him a happy Father's Day," Ferguson said of his father Derek. "It makes me happy to see him watch his son play in the World Cup. From what I know, he probably wanted to achieve more than he did. He lives that through me. It's good to see how proud and happy he is. He's one of the few people I listen to in football. He's played a really important role in my life and career. He's become a little more complimentary as I've gotten older. I'm happy with my performance recently, but I still have more to offer."

Ferguson's game is based on energy and commitment, two characteristics he demonstrated intensely in Boston. However, his containment role limited his offensive influence somewhat, something that became evident at the end of the game against Morocco, when the introduction of Kenny McLean offered him more freedom. McLean has also impressed in his substitute appearances, but can he start forallow Ferguson to have more freedom against Brazil? It's difficult to say, given the variables and the opponent involved. Scotland, with three points, could progress from the group stage with that number, depending on goal difference. The detail is that we won't know this until days after the game in Miami. A draw against the five-time world champions will probably be enough.

"Lewis Ferguson has been a pillar in both games," former Scotland international Leanne Crichton told BBC Scotland. "The thing with Lewis is that we've probably taken away some of his strengths. The fact that he's been identified as a defensive midfield type of player limits his ability to break down the opposition's backline, just as he probably would if he had the freedom to be a box-to-box midfielder. I think going into the game in Miami against Brazil, you can see that partnership of Ferguson and McLean in terms of using the ball to try and free up Lewis Ferguson a little bit. He's had a really strong tournament so far and you can clearly see your qualities.