Scotland produced a patient, precise and clinical display to beat Bolivia 4-0 in sweltering conditions at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey.
The temperature hit 32.7 degrees on the day, prompting an air quality alert from New Jersey’s department of environmental protection, classified as Code Orange.
Bolivia were expected to handle the heat, given they play home fixtures in Tarija at 6,000 feet above sea level and in El Alto at 13,600 feet above sea level.
They had beaten Chile last June and Brazil last September in El Alto, suggesting the thin air and extreme conditions hold no fear for the South Americans.
But the heat Scotland applied throughout the match proved far more troubling for Bolivia than anything the weather could throw at them.
Scotland did not rush their passing or force the issue with aggression, instead waiting for space to open before striking with real purpose and composure.
Lawrence Shankland opened the scoring from a headed chance set up by Ryan Christie and Andy Robertson, continuing a remarkable run of form in front of goal.
Since September, Shankland has not gone more than two consecutive games without scoring, and he has netted 24 times in 38 games this season and 10 in 12 since the turn of the year.
Scott McTominay was instrumental in an intelligent first-half performance before adding the second goal as Scotland built a commanding lead before the interval.
Che Adams then grabbed the third and fourth goals, with Ben Gannon-Doak providing the running and creativity that directly contributed to the fourth strike.
The Bournemouth youngster still has rough edges and searches for consistency with his final ball, but he looked noticeably sharper here compared to previous outings.
Steve Clarke said afterwards that he has “fantastic problems” in deciding who starts against Haiti, with so many players making strong claims for selection.
Scotland are now up against Haiti on Sunday 14 June in their opening World Cup group fixture, and that will present a far sterner physical test than Bolivia provided.
Haiti will be more physical, more athletic, more pacy and more threatening, but Scotland will head into that match carrying significant belief after eight goals in two warm-up games.
Clarke led his side into the Euros four years ago on the back of demoralising form, but the mood surrounding this Scotland squad feels markedly and genuinely different heading into 2026.
