Disaster Index: 7.8 Entry: Post-Mortem Convened Cause: Scotland's 2026 World Cup campaign concluded. The formal question of what went wrong is now open. Category: Structural Evidence: BBC Sport Scotland has convened the post-mortem. The word "desperately" has been selected to modify "disappointing." Scotland returned from their first World Cup in 28 years without advancing. The record is complete. Historical precedent: Post-mortem language follows every Scotland tournament exit. The specific pairing of "desperately" and "disappointing" marks the entry as sincere rather than procedural — the word does extra work when the expectation was already modest. Affected parties: Scotland squad, coaching staff, supporters who organised hope around a school night in June, the 28-year absence that gave the campaign its weight. Immediate outlook: The mechanism of failure is now the subject. The campaign is closed. The Index remains open. Filed: 2026-06-27 / Campaign close