Ryan Christie was the last Scotland player to touch the ball before his country's Euro 2024 exit. On the 100th minute, referee Facundo Tello blew his whistle before the Bournemouth midfielder could take the throw-in against Hungary. The deflation etched on players' faces in Stuttgart deepened the wound.
"A few of us left that thinking 'what could have been'," Christie said on The Wayne Rooney Show. "So I think this time we've got a chip on our shoulder that we are going to do something at this tournament. We are absolutely desperate to be the first team to get out of the group stage."
Euro 2024 in Germany was humiliating: a 5-1 thrashing in the tournament opener. Christie called it a "humbling" experience. Now Scotland have a chance to recover, though Christie is realistic: "Everybody's at the World Cup on merit, so there are no easy games."
Scotland's psychological resolve may give them an edge in early group matches: motivation following Euro 2024 is significantly elevated. For betting, this signals Scotland may deliver more decisive play and larger winning margins in their opening group fixtures.
→ Next match preview: Haiti — Scotland