Worum geht es in Schottlands inoffizieller Nationalhymne? Warum singen die Schotten „Flower of Scotland“?

Scotland vs Brazil will kick off this evening at 11pm British time, with the match being broadcast by the BBC.

The Group C face-off, held at the Miami Stadium, will determine which national side tops the table, and which secure qualification, come 1am, with Morocco also firmly in the mix.

Prior to kick-off, the Scotland faithful, known as the Tartan Army, will be heard singing the nation's national anthem, but what is the story behind 'Flower of Scotland'?

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What is Scotland's national anthem, 2026 World Cup - why do the Scottish sing 'Flower of Scotland'?

The Tartan Army proudly belt the unofficial anthem. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Off the bat, 'Flower of Scotland' is not the Scottish national anthem. It is an unofficial anthem used for sporting purposes, due to its patriotic themes.

Its primary association is with the Scottish national team, however, the story begins with its use in a BBC television series, and another sport entirely.

The Scotland national team were not the first sports team to popularise the anthem, despite adopting it in 1997. (Image credit: Alamy)

'Flower of Scotland' was composed in the 1960s by Roy Williamson, of the folk group The Corries.

It was first heard by the public during a BBC television show broadcast in 1967, in an uncompleted form.

The iconic third verse, known for its line 'We will rise now', was not in the original version aired by the broadcaster.

The song gained notoriety in the world of sports with the Scotland rugby union team, at the request of winger Billy Steele.

Steele encouraged his team-mates to sing the song during the British and Irish Lions Tour of 1974 in South Africa, eventually being adopted as the pre-game anthem by the team in 1990.

To this day, despite its popularity, 'Flower of Scotland' remains an unofficial anthem. (Image credit: Getty Images)

The Scotland national team followed suit three years later in 1993, before adopting it as an official pre-game anthem in 1997.

The lyrics of the track refer to the victory of the Kingdom of Scotland over the Kingdom of England, at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

Despite various attempts to crown it as the official anthem of the nation between 2006 and 2015, 'Flower of Scotland' remains unofficial.

In 2006, the track won 41% of the votes in a poll conducted by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra seeking to crown a unified anthem.

Scottish Parliament deemed the matter formally unresolvable in 2015, closing a petition from earlier that year to crown 'Flower of Scotland' as the national anthem, stating "[we will] allow that debate to continue."