King Charles consoles Scotland before cheeky plea to cheer on England

King Charles has offered his sincere commiserations to Scotland's football team following their elimination from the 2026 World Cup, while wishing England, Australia and Canada luck in the knockout stages.The message was published on the Royal Family's official social media accounts on Sunday after Scotland's exit from the tournament was confirmed.The King wrote: To the players, outgoing manager and support staff of Scotland’s football team, I would like to offer you my sincere commiserations on exiting the World Cup.While I know what a huge disappointment this will be – just as it is for New Zealand, who didn’t make it through this time and have my similar sympathies – I hope you may be able to return home with proud hearts for the joy you have given to so many in having qualified for the first time in over 25 years. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say He added: I fear that traditional sporting rivalries mean it may be too much to hope that the devoted tartan army of yours will now cheer with full voice for the three other realms still in contention, but my wife and I nonetheless wish England, Australia and Canada the very best of luck for the battles ahead!Scotland was eliminated after finishing third in Group C with three points from their three matches, leaving it outside the eight best third-placed teams that progressed to the round of 32. Its exit was confirmed following Croatia's 2-1 victory over Ghana in Group L.Steve Clarke subsequently announced his resignation as Scotland manager, bringing an end to his seven-year tenure in charge of the national side.Scotland opened its campaign with a 1-0 victory over Haiti before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Morocco and a 3-0 loss against Brazil. The tournament marked the country's first appearance at a men's World Cup since 1998.Ahead of the competition, King Charles approved a one-off bank holiday in Scotland after a proposal from First Minister John Swinney to mark the national team's return to football's biggest stage following a 28-year absence.LATEST ROYAL DEVELOPMENTSRoyal engagements halve since 2012 amid slimmer working monarchyGeorge's remarkable height revealed in new photo with CatherineConfusion erupts over Harry and Meghan's UK plansEngland secured top spot in Group L after defeating Panama 2-0 and will face the Democratic Republic of Congo in the round of 32.Australia takes on Egypt, while Canada begins its knockout campaign against South Africa.The 2026 World Cup, hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, is the first edition of the tournament to feature 48 teams and 104 matches.Scotland's appearance in North America marked their first men's World Cup campaign since France 1998, ending a 28-year absence from football's biggest stage. Steve Clarke's side secured qualification in November after defeating Denmark at Hampden Park. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter