Overview
- Scotland head coach Steve Clarke confirmed on BBC Radio 5 Live that Barnes has definitively ruled out a switch and will try to play for England.
- Barnes remains eligible for Scotland through his maternal grandparents but has only one England appearance, a 2020 friendly that left a switch possible until now.
- The 28-year-old has scored 12 goals for Newcastle United this season, form that had made him a coveted option for Clarke.
- Barnes has not been called up under England head coach Thomas Tuchel, and analysts say fierce competition on the wings makes a late World Cup selection unlikely.
- Clarke said he is not disappointed and that Scotland will move on, with preparations under way for Nations League Group B1 against Switzerland, Slovenia and North Macedonia.