Scott McTominay lit up Hampden Park with an outrageous overhead kick to give Scotland a crucial early lead against Denmark in their World Cup qualifier.
The Napoli midfielder, formerly of Manchester United, struck after just three minutes, acrobatically meeting a lofted cross and sending a spectacular finish past Kasper Schmeichel as the stadium erupted.
Steve Clarke’s side went into the final Group C fixture needing a win to qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup, having been handed an unexpected lifeline at the weekend despite losing 3-2 to Greece after falling 3-0 behind in Piraeus.
That defeat looked fatal until Belarus stunned Denmark with a point in Copenhagen, keeping the group alive and dragging the qualification fight to Glasgow, where Scotland know only victory would be enough to finish top.
Denmark, led by McTominay’s club team-mate Rasmus Hojlund, need just a point to book their place for the North American finals.
Hampden had been febrile from kick-off, with the Tartan Army sensing an opportunity rarely presented in recent campaigns and Scotland responded with a blistering opening spell.
Scott McTominay lit up Hampden Park with an outrageous overhead kick to give Scotland a crucial early lead against Denmark
The Napoli midfielder, formerly of Manchester United , struck after just three minutes, acrobatically meeting a lofted cross
McTominay’s strike came from one of them, the midfielder adjusting superbly as the ball dropped inside the area before throwing himself backwards and remarkably guiding his finish into the bottom corner.
The goal drew immediate reaction from fans on social media, with a notable comment coming from four-time Grand Slam winner Sir Andy Murray.
‘What on earth was that,’ he wrote on X, followed by four smiling face with heart-eyes. ‘McTominay you wee dancer!’
The 28-year-old’s strike, his 13th international goal and second of this qualification campaign, underlined the level he has reached since leaving United in 2024.
McTominay won Serie A’s MVP award last season as Napoli claimed the title, and he has quickly become a fan favourite in Naples for his timing, work rate and goals from midfield.
Unfortunately for Clarke’s men, their early momentum was dented when Ben Doak was forced off after 22 minutes following a bright start in which he had created the opener.
The Bournemouth winger, who had been electric in the early exchanges, went down clutching his right hamstring and immediately signalled he could not continue.
A stretcher was called as teammates gathered around him, and the 20-year-old appeared in tears as he was carried from the pitch. Kenny McLean came on in his place as Scotland reshuffled their midfield.
The 28-year-old rose high above the Danish defence and managed to direct his finish beyond Schmeichel, despite making contact on the penalty spot
Sir Andy Murray was among the Scotland fans to react to the sensational strike on social media
Since Steve Clarke took charge in 2019, Scotland have enjoyed one of their most consistent periods in decades, reaching back-to-back European Championships for the first time in their history and ending a 23-year wait for a major finals by qualifying for Euro 2020.
They then finished second in their qualifying group for Euro 2024, ultimately reaching the finals in Germany, and pushed their World Cup ambitions deep into the 2022 campaign before falling in the playoffs.