John Higgins sounds alarm for Scottish snooker: "It's a million dollar question"

Earlier this week, Higgins booked his place in the last 16 of the 2026 World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre following a hard-fought 10-7 win over two-time finalist Ali Carter.

Next up for the 50-year-old is a blockbuster meeting with fellow ‘Class of 92’ graduate Ronnie O’Sullivan, who defeated He Guoqiang, 10-2, in the first round in Sheffield.

Fellow Scot, and the player he won the 2019 World Snooker Cup alongside for their country, Stephen Maguire claimed his seventh career ranking title at the start of this season at the Championship League. A few weeks later, two-time ranking event winner Anthony McGill reached the British Open final in September - his first ranked final on the professional tour in over seven years.

However, for the second consecutive year, Higgins is the only Scottish player in the main draw at this year’s Crucible.

Speaking to 2026 World Snooker Championship sponsor Midnite, Higgins expressed his concern for snooker in his home country.

There are several Scottish players further down the world rankings, including former Championship League Invitational winner Scott Donaldson, and last season’s Snooker Shoot Out runner-up Liam Graham, but Higgins is struggling to see many of his other compatriots making the professional grade in the near future.

Asked about the snooker scene in Scotland and whether it can keep up its proud tradition on the top flight green baize in years to come, 33-time ranking event winner Higgins painted a slightly glum picture.

“It's going to be difficult” said the Wizard from Wishaw. “I don't think there's the same depth of talent coming through in Scotland in the same way it was when I came through but it was a different life back in the mid-80s.

“Snooker clubs, they were vibrant places, so many more of them, although there are still some big beautiful clubs in Britain but not as many.”

A question in recent times amongst those who love and promote the sport is how to attract more people to it. Over the past few years in darts, teenage sensation and double world champion Luke Littler has taken his sport by storm, inspiring a wave of youngsters to the oche.

At this year’s World Snooker Championship, we have seen several young players making their debuts on the sport’s grandest stage - Stan Moody, Liam Pullen, and Antoni Kowalski - these could be the sort of breakthroughs that British and European snooker needs in order to challenge the conveyor belt of talent emerging from the Far East.

Discussing what can be done to tempt new generations to the table, and what role current top snooker stars have in connecting with fans, Higgins said: “It's a million dollar question. What can you do to make it more popular? It's obviously younger players that come through that might radiate with the public and whatever. But difficult, difficult.

“I don't really go on social media and different things, but you do know of so many other great players, great champions out there, that embrace the social media side and I think that is only way to connect because that's the way life has went.

“There's a lot more social media side in every walk of life and I think the more and more people that can embrace that side of it, it's great for any sport or any job or whatever.”

Higgins’ three-session, best-of-25 frames encounter with O’Sullivan begins on Saturday night at 19:00BST.

John Higgins was speaking to Midnite, the UK betting & Casino partner at the World Championship. This year sees the return of the Midnite Maximum initiative, where a lucky fan will win up to £100,000 if a 147 is hit.

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