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Three minutes into the match, McTominay scored a spectacular bicycle kick goal, to send the Tartan army into a frenzy at their hallowed ground.
Scott McTominay. (X)
Scotland secured their spot at the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a commanding victory over a 10-man Denmark on Wednesday, as the Scots achieved a 4-2 win at the iconic Hampden Park.
Three minutes into the match, McTominay scored a spectacular bicycle kick goal, to send the Tartan army into a frenzy at their hallowed ground.
Goals from McTominay, Lawrence Shankland, Kieran Tierney, and Kenny McLean guaranteed Scotland’s place in the prestigious tournament in North America.
“We’ve been on a journey. I spoke to them about it pre-match, about how this is the opportunity we’ve waited for. What a night, eh?” said Scotland coach Steve Clarke.
“This was the chance, one game. This was like a playoff final. We put everything on the line. There’s always one last step and it’s always the hardest,” he added.
A draw would have secured Denmark the group win, and the Danes were in a good position after Patrick Dorgu equalised in the 82nd minute. However, Kieran Tierney put the hosts ahead again three minutes into added time. Kenny McLean then sealed Scotland’s qualification eight minutes into stoppage time by chipping goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel from the halfway line.
Denmark finished second in the group, two points behind Scotland, after Rasmus Kristensen was sent off in the 62nd minute.
Belgium clinched their fourth consecutive FIFA World Cup berth with a 7-0 victory over Liechtenstein, topping Group J. Wales finished second with a 7-1 win over North Macedonia.
Jeremy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere each netted a double, while Hans Vanaken, Brandon Mechele, and Alexis Saelemaekers also scored for the Belgian Red Devils.
Wales secured their spot at the quadrennial spectacle with their convincing win at home, where Harry Wilson netted a hat trick. A draw would have been sufficient for North Macedonia. Both teams earned their playoff berths through the Nations League.
Elsewhere, Spain had to settle for a point as Turkey held the Euro 2024 champions to a 2-2 draw in their FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers at the Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla.
Goals from Dani Olmo and Mikel Oyarzabal were countered by Deniz Gul and Salih Ozcan, extending Spain’s unbeaten streak to 31 games.
Spain’s unbeaten run began against Italy in the semifinals of the Nations League in 2023. Italy’s record spanned from 2018 to 2021, ending with a 2-1 loss to Spain in the Nations League final.
La Roja would only have lost first place if they were defeated by seven goals or more, with Turkey finishing second in the group.
Olmo expressed mixed feelings, saying they wanted to finish without conceding a goal and felt a bittersweet taste but were happy to qualify for the World Cup.
Olmo opened the scoring in the 4th minute for Luis De La Fuente’s men, but Gul equalised three minutes before the first-half break.
Ozcan put Turkey ahead early in the second half, but Oyarzabal ensured Spain’s unbeaten run continued with his equaliser just after the hour mark.
United Kingdom (UK)
November 19, 2025, 08:53 IST
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