There are few people better placed to understand what qualifying for a World Cup would mean to Scotland women than Leanne Ross. The country's most decorated international player, with 133 caps and a trophy cabinet that includes 14 league titles and 13 major cup medals, Ross never quite got to tick the one box that eluded her throughout a stellar career. She retired after Euro 2017 — the first time Scotland had reached a major tournament — and missed the 2019 World Cup in France. That particular door has since closed. But another one, marked Brazil 2027, remains very much ajar.

Scotland sit one round-one play-off double-header away from keeping their World Cup dream alive, with the Czech Republic standing between them and a shot at the world stage. The first leg takes place in Pardubice, east of Prague, with the tie live on the BBC, and it is safe to say the mood in the camp is one of cautious optimism rather than nervous paralysis.

"It would be huge," Ross said on the eve of the squad's departure for the Czech Republic. "I never got to do it as a player, reaching that World Cup stage. I played in the Euro finals and that was an amazing experience and just topped off my career as a player, but to go and do it as part of the coaching staff, it would be such a proud moment."

Ross, who now serves as both Scotland's assistant coach and Glasgow City's head coach, has been part of the national set-up long enough to know the pain that play-off defeats leave behind. Two years ago, Finland ended Scotland's hopes of qualifying for Euro 2025. Before that, Republic of Ireland beat them to a place at the 2023 World Cup in Australia. Several players who experienced both of those gut-punches are still in the squad, carrying the memory of what almost was.

That context matters. Scotland have not been at a major tournament since that landmark Euro 2017 appearance, and the eight-year wait is beginning to weigh on a generation of players who deserve better than near-misses. Round two of the play-offs could bring Sweden into the equation — a side that would test anyone in the world game — but Ross is deliberately keeping her gaze close and her thinking clear.

Quality in the Right Environments

What gives Ross genuine confidence is not blind faith but an honest assessment of where the squad currently stands. She pointed to the quality of clubs the players are representing, the environments they are operating in week to week, and the way the team has been playing coming into this play-off window.

"The progress that we're making and the way that we're playing at this moment is a real good opportunity for us," she said. "You look at the quality we have, the teams that they're playing for, the environments that they're in and individually them bringing their magic into this team and putting that all together. I think it's a really exciting time for Scotland with the players we have."

The message from the assistant coach is clear enough: give the players the platform, trust the collective, and the results will follow. Whether that belief is enough to finally drag Scotland back onto the world stage remains to be seen, but there is something genuinely compelling about a woman who gave everything to this shirt as a player channelling that love into making it happen from the dugout instead.

The first leg in Pardubice is the start. Scotland will know soon enough whether this generation has what it takes to bring that magic when it counts most.

Frequently asked

When is Scotland women's World Cup play-off against Czech Republic?
Scotland face Czech Republic in a round-one World Cup play-off double-header, with the first leg taking place in Pardubice, east of Prague. Both legs are live on the BBC.
Who is Leanne Ross and what is her role with Scotland women?
Leanne Ross is Scotland's most capped women's international player with 133 caps. She retired after Euro 2017 and has since moved into coaching, serving as Scotland's assistant coach alongside her role as Glasgow City head coach.
Have Scotland women ever been to a World Cup?
Scotland have not qualified for a Women's World Cup. They came close ahead of the 2023 tournament in Australia but lost out in the play-offs to Republic of Ireland. A win over Czech Republic would keep alive hopes of reaching Brazil 2027.