Steve Clarke has officially resigned as the head coach of the Scotland national football team after their exit from the World Cup. The Scottish Football Association (SFA) announced his departure shortly after Croatia's win over Ghana, which confirmed Scotland's elimination from the tournament.

Clarke, who took charge of the national team in May 2019, had recently signed a new four-year contract just a month prior to his resignation. Under his leadership, Scotland managed to qualify for two European Championships and this summer's World Cup, marking a significant achievement for the team, which had not reached a major finals since 1998.

Scotland's World Cup campaign began with a narrow 1-0 victory against Haiti, followed by a disappointing 1-0 loss to Morocco and a heavy 3-0 defeat to Brazil. These results left Scotland with a slim chance of advancing as one of the best third-placed teams, but that hope was dashed after the loss to Brazil.

In his farewell message, Clarke expressed deep gratitude towards his players, stating, "The most emotional part of this goodbye is for my players, without whom we wouldn't have had any of the memories that we've accumulated from 2019 until now. They deserve all the praise and adulation that they receive, and it was truly an honour to be called their gaffer."

Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell acknowledged Clarke's contributions, noting the progress made during his tenure. He highlighted that Clarke transformed Scotland from a pot four team in 2019 to topping their World Cup qualifying group. Maxwell stated, "While we are all disappointed to have exited the World Cup at the group stage, we must not lose sight of the undeniable progress made during Steve's seven years in charge."

Clarke's resignation has sparked discussions about who will succeed him as Scotland's head coach. His tenure will be remembered as one of the most successful periods in the history of Scottish football, and the search for a new leader begins now.