Ian Wright criticizes Scottish football's problems and suggests changes

As forensics prepare to begin an analysis of yet another failed attempt by Scotland to progress from the group stage of a major tournament, former England striker Ian Wright appears to have hit the nail on the head when addressing the reasons for Scottish football's problems.

Rather than blaming factors such as video games, playing restrictions or the rising costs of renting pitches, Wright called for a "bolder, braver vision" and suggested that "something is letting Scotland down on a huge scale". His argument arose from undervalued broadcast contracts and unrealized potential, but how valid is this theory? With Scotland's World Cup hopes hanging by a thread, BBC Scotland has analyzed the situation.

Wright made a comparison with Norway, a country with a population similar to Scotland's five million. Like Scotland, Norway did not participate in any World Cup between 1998 and this summer. They have been to just one Euro - in 2000 - while the Scots have been present in the last two editions, after an absence since 1996.

Led by Manchester City's world-class striker Erling Haaland and Arsenal playmaker Martin Odegaard, the current Norwegian team is advancing to the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup, the third time they have done so in the tournament's history. Meanwhile, Scotland are inching closer to an early exit after picking up just three points from three group matches.


Former Celtic player Wright analyzed domestic games in both countries, suggesting that Norwegian clubs attract an average attendance of between 6,000 and 7,000 per week, while in Scotland that figure jumps to 16,000. This data is corroborated by Transfermarkt's attendance figures, which show an average of just over 7,000 fans attending Norwegian top flight games each week in the 2025 season. For the Scottish Premiership, that figure was around 16,000 last season, a figure inflated by the crowds that Celtic and Rangers attract.

A UEFA report published in September last year revealed that, for the third year running, football fans in Scotland recorded significantly higher attendances per capita in the top flight than any other league in Europe. Wright suggested that these attendance figures, plus the talent and stories that Scottish football has to offer, should attract a more lucrative TV contract when compared to Norway.

The Premiership attracted huge interest last season, with a thrilling title race being decided in the final round between champions Celtic and Hearts. "Norway got a broadcast deal that was £25m more a year than Scotland," Wright said on ITV. The SPFL has committed to a £150m broadcast deal in 2022, which will start in 2024 and run until 2029. Premiership clubs earn around £30m per season under the current deal. The aim is for Scottish Premiership clubs to earn £50m a year by 2029. This is already happening in Norway, according to Norwegian media, who claim the domestic rights package in the country is currently worth more than £50m a season. FromBy 2029, that figure is expected to rise to more than £60 million.

And how does this impact the national team? More revenue for clubs would mean more money to improve infrastructure, facilities and academies across the country. And at a time when Scottish clubs are constantly losing young talent to clubs with more resources – often south of the border – more money should, in theory, mean a bigger budget to encourage talent to stay.

Still, there must be a pathway to professional football, something Scottish clubs have been encouraged to significantly improve following a Scottish Football Association report which detailed how clubs in Scotland are failing to produce enough young players. Despite the recent return to major tournaments, Wright sympathizes with Scotland and their fans after a generation of missed opportunities. And judging by the social media reaction that followed his impassioned comments, which came before Scotland had even taken to the field for their final group game against Brazil, he doesn't appear to be the only one who thinks so.