GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — A transfer to Spain and change of Scotland coach finally earned Sevilla striker Robbie Ure a first international call Tuesday in a reset after a disappointing World Cup where the Tartan Army of fans far outperformed the team.
Scotland’s new coach Sébastien Pocognoli made the 22-year-old Ure the standout inclusion among sweeping changes for four games in a second-tier Nations League group where World Cup quarterfinalist Switzerland starts favorite.
Half of Pocognoli's 28-player squad was not involved in a group-stage exit at the World Cup that pushed coach Steve Clarke to leave despite signing a four-year contract extension days before traveling to the United States.
Pocognoli, a 39-year-old former Belgium defender, also gave first-time selections to Hearts winger Josh McPake, Celtic right back Colby Donovan and Stoke center back Luke Graham.
Star player Scott McTominay is missing as he recovers from a heart procedure at Napoli, though Pocognoli picked six from Serie A clubs.
Scotland’s four games in the first national-team break in the European fall to be spread across two weekends are away to Slovenia on Sept. 26, then hosting Switzerland, at North Macedonia and home to Slovenia on Oct. 6.
Ure never got in Clarke's World Cup plans despite a prolific spell at runaway Swedish league leader Sirius that earned him a 6.5 million euros ($7.5 million) move to Sevilla last month.
Scotland was toothless in attack at the World Cup. Clarke's team scored just one goal and created few chances in three games — a 1-0 win over Haiti, then tame losses to Morocco and Brazil — before making a quick exit home.
Ure also is eligible for Ukraine and playing competitive games for Scotland will tie down the former Rangers prospect’s international eligibility.
Hull forward Oli McBurnie was long out of favor but a strong start to the season for the Premier League’s surprise team has earned the 30-year-old a fresh start.
A former coach at Monaco and Union Saint-Gilloise, Pocognoli was an unexpected pick last month for Scotland where fans are looking for more dynamic play.
Clarke excelled in restoring Scotland to qualifying for tournaments after a 20-year absence but the team was overmatched at back-to-back European Championships and the World Cup in June.
Scotland is a co-host of Euro 2028 with England, Ireland and Wales. UEFA has reserved two entries in the 24-team lineup for hosts that do not earn a place directly in qualifying groups played next year.
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FILE - Napoli's Scott McTominay reacts after a missed opportunity during a Champions League opening phase soccer match between SL Benfica and Napoli in Lisbon, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca, file)
Celtic's Colby Donovan (left) and Rangers' Djeidi Gassama battle for the ball during the Scottish League Cup soccer match between Rangers and Celtic, in Glasgow, Sunday Sept. 13, 2026. (Andrew Milligan/PA via AP)
After decades of African athletes breaking records in track and field, Africa finally gets to host the World Athletics Championships.
Kenya's capital Nairobi was confirmed Tuesday as host of the 2029 edition of the championships, the sport's biggest event outside of the Olympics.
“Taking our championships to Africa for the first time will be historic,” World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said as he announced the decision following the Ultimate Championship in Hungary. “Athletics is woven into the fabric of Kenya.”
Kenya has long been a superpower in distance running and is second on the all-time worlds medal table behind only the United States.
Salim Mvurya, the Kenyan government minister responsible for sports, said “the world will come to a country where running is more than competition, it is our national story.”
There could be records in store thanks to Nairobi being the highest-altitude world championships host in history. The thinner air means less resistance for runners, but they may need time to adapt to the conditions.
The championships also return to Germany in 2031 after a 22-year wait, with Munich hosting.
Coe added World Athletics research had shown Kenya was the most passionate market for track and field among those surveyed.
The championships will use a stadium that's already being upgraded for Kenya co-hosting soccer's Africa Cup of Nations next year.
“It was important that the World Athletics Championships should come to Africa when we had the right host, the right bid and the right circumstances. Nairobi has demonstrated emphatically that this is their moment,” Coe said.
The decision brings recognition of Kenya's status as a track nation, but is likely to bring extra scrutiny of the East African nation's history of top runners being busted for doping.
Marathon world record holder Ruth Chepng'etich is serving a three-year doping ban after joining the many elite-level Kenyan runners suspended over the past decade.
The 2031 championships could be a boost for Munich's campaign to host the Olympics in future. It's never hosted track worlds before, though Germany's capital Berlin did in 2009 and Stuttgart hosted in 1993.
London was unsuccessful with a bid for 2029 after last hosting in 2017, while Rome was the other losing candidate.
After the new Ultimate Championship brought big cash prizes instead of medals for an invitation-only field of track's biggest names, it's back to the traditional worlds format next year in Beijing.
Next year's world championships run for 10 days, against three for the new Ultimate Championship, with a full slate of events. That means including competitions like the men's triple jump, shot put, walks and marathon which weren't on the schedule in Budapest last week.
The Ultimate Championship doesn't yet have a host confirmed for its next edition in 2028, but Coe said there was “a lot of interest” following the inaugural event.
“I think the proof of concept worked pretty well. There are things that we will obviously look at and adjust,” Coe said. “There’s already heightened interest in wanting to stage those championships.”
In this photo taken with smartphone, the Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani, which has a seating capacity reduced to around 48,000 following major renovations, in Nairobi, Kenya, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo)
FILE - Kenyan fans react after the women's 5,000 meters final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, file)
The Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani, which has a seating capacity reduced to around 48,000 following major renovations, in Nairobi, Kenya, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo)
The Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani, which has a seating capacity reduced to around 48,000 following major renovations, in Nairobi, Kenya, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo)
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe speaks during a news conference marking the formal opening of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
