Going out of the competition will confirm that Scotland have fallen out of the all-important top 15 in the UEFA coefficient rankings. The champions will enter in the second qualifying round, not the play-off. The runners-up, too, will only get in to the second qualifying round of the Conference League. There will also not be any Conference League place for the team that finishes fifth in the top flight either. It is a sizeable difference.” It could cost tens of millions, not just millions.

Source: BBC February 23, 2026 13:31 UTC