What on earth was Tuesday night?!

The 18th of November 2025 – remember that date for the history books. Scotland are going back to the World Cup for the first time since France 1998.

Moreover, they topped a qualifying group for the first time since qualifying for the 1992 European Championships in Sweden and the first time in a World Cup qualifying group since qualifying for Spain 1982.

It was decided in one of the most dramatic nights Hampden Park will ever witness, and it means for the third successive qualifying group, Scotland have defeated pot one opposition at Hampden Park.

The Scotland rollercoaster

A big game needed big players and thankfully for Scotland, we have a massive game player: Scott McTominay. It was the case of déjà vu with the opener goal, shades of his deciding goal for Napoli against Cagliari to clinch the Serie A title back in May. A brilliant overhead kick in the opening three minutes that settled any nerves that could have been in the minds of the players.

🎶 McTominay uh-huh-uh-huh I like it 🎶#FIFAWorldCup | @FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/TAceMrzuoP

— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) November 19, 2025

Denmark had chances and looked promising as the first half entered the final stages, dictating most of the ball but had nothing to really trouble Craig Gordon in the Scotland goal.

Then the rollercoaster began; a long VAR check made the Hampden crowd nervous, and the nerves turned to despair as referee Szymon Marciniak controversially deemed Robertson clattered into Isaksen inside the box when many felt it was outside the box. Penalty for Denmark; no mistake from Rasmus Hojlund and Denmark had the advantage again. Back to square one.

Then, a turning point: Rasmus Kristensen brought down John McGinn and was given his second yellow and marching orders. A decision that upon review looked soft; maybe it was the football gods evening things out after the penalty decision, but nonetheless, Hampden had hope once more.

Time felt as though it had slowed down, with every minute feeling like ten. Then, the real drama started. Lewis Ferguson’s whipped corner found substitute Lawrence Shankland, who needed the slightest of touches to put it past Kasper Schmeichel. The game and the group was ours… Until it wasn’t. Just three minutes after ecstasy, Scotland failed to clear their lines and Patrick Dorgu punished Scotland. Suddenly it was feeling all too familiar: the false hope, the poor officiating, the late heartbreak. The playoffs were looking likely.

The clock was ticking, the game was fading, and the dream was dying. Chances from Adams and McGinn had come and gone, and it was going to be one of those nights of glorious failure again.

Bedlam and liftoff

Then in the 93rd minute, it happened. The goal Scotland needed, the goal Scotland craved. Denmark couldn’t clear their lines and Kieran Tierney, with his first competitive goal for Scotland, produced a roar Hampden had been waiting 27 years for.

Suddenly all the performative Danish cramp and time-wasting since Dorgu’s equaliser had vanished, as if by magic. Almost as if they were made to pay and rightly so. It had flipped; it was now the Danes scrambling to score, and with much of their attacking threat already subbed off, they struggled to penetrate Scotland’s determined backline.

Six minutes were added; seven had passed. Every Scotsman in the country was shouting “ref” in unison, as if he could hear them. Then, Kenny McLean got on the end of a very loose pass from Morten Hjulmand; some said, including Steve Clarke, put it in the corner; some said pass to Lewis Ferguson or Che Adams, who were alongside him.

The mayor of Norwich had other ideas; Kasper Schmeichel was way off his line, McLean’s eyes lit up, he hit it from his own half, looped it over Schmeichel and into the back of the Hampden net. The scenes that followed will never be forgotten by any who witnessed them. In decades to come, the story of that night will be passed down. Minute details may be changed for dramatic effect or due to memory loss, but the main truth will remain: Scotland had qualified.

THIS is how Scotland qualify for a World Cup.

Take a bow, Kenny McLean. #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/b9OB6FVbFR

— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) November 18, 2025

Relief and emotion

10,011 days from Scotland’s defeat to Morocco in St Etienne, Scotland are going back to the World Cup finals!

A day and a night Scotland and the Tartan Army had waited for, and for many, never thought they would ever come again. 27 years of hurt and torture had gone with one long-range strike from the halfway line.

Hampden Park has finally found its roar again and it will be a night to never forget. Four goals, three of which were superb, and another was good striker instinct. We will always remember the 18th of November.

Forget the playoff draw; the next date the Tartan Army will look out for is the 5th of December, the draw for the World Cup group stages. We’ll find out not only who our opponents will be but also where the next adventure will take us. A trip of a lifetime is in store and if there’s one thing we’ve learnt in 27 years, it’s to seize the moment and take it with both hands.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿WE’RE OFF TO THE USA, MEXICO, AND CANADA! pic.twitter.com/hHcQZM49kv

— FootballPark - Scotland (@FP_Scotland) November 18, 2025

Choose Scotland

Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family.

Choose Heartbreak. Choose watching us batter teams only to lose it in the last minute.

Choose Hope. Choose Belief. Choose watching Rodri cry on the Hampden turf.

Choose Anger. Choose Confusion. Choose playing 4-6-0 in Prague.

Choose Dreaming. Choose Believing. Choose Ryan Christie greetin in Belgrade.

Choose Your Friends. Choose Your Journey. Choose taking the Tartan Train to London for a 0-0 win at Wembley.

Choose Kenny McLean scoring in the last minute against Norway in Oslo. Choose Kenny McLean scoring in the last minute against Denmark at Hampden.

Choose 'Super' John McGinn. Choose Scott McTominay. Choose Andy Robertson. Choose Steve Clarke.

Choose The Tartan Army. Choose qualification. Choose World Cup 2026. Choose Scotland.