McGinn calls on Scotland to show 'personality' against Brazil with World Cup survival at stake

John McGinn has called on Scotland to show more “personality” when they face Brazil in a pivotal World Cup Group C clash in Miami on Wednesday, with Steve Clarke’s side needing at least a point to keep their knockout-stage hopes alive.

Scotland’s position grew precarious after Ismael Saibari’s goal just 70 seconds into Friday’s fixture at Boston Stadium handed Morocco a 1-0 win, leaving Scotland on three points. Brazil, who subsequently beat Haiti 3-0, sit level with Morocco on four points and occupy the top two automatic qualification spots. A draw against the Brazilians would all but secure Scotland’s passage to the last 16 for the first time in their history.

“We have come a long way as a country and as a group,” McGinn said after the Morocco defeat. “They are filled with elite players, but we’ve got some elite players in there as well, so we need to start showing more of our personality, but we’ve got to be proud of how we reacted.”

The Aston Villa captain was keen to highlight Scotland’s resilience after conceding so early, arguing the result could easily have been different. “We could have folded, but in the second half we showed a lot more character and intent and we could have easily on another day drawn that game or even won.”

Looking ahead to Wednesday’s decisive encounter, McGinn struck a confident tone. “We know what we need to do and we’re excited for it. Brazil are a famous football nation, filled with players playing at a high level, so we’ll have to be at our best to get something from the game, but we’re excited by the challenge.”

McGinn also voiced frustration over two penalty appeals that were dismissed during the Morocco match. He believes he was fouled in the area by Neil El Aynaoui, and that Scott McTominay was subsequently brought down by the same Roma defender.

“When the defender’s running at that speed, if you get the ball past them and are taken out then it is a penalty kick,” McGinn said of his own incident. “But we don’t make the decisions, the referee makes the decisions and he decided that it wasn’t a penalty.”

Despite those grievances, the midfielder remained pragmatic. “I certainly think the big, big moments haven’t gone our way,” he acknowledged, before stressing that Scotland must move on and focus on what is still within their control against Brazil.