Serie A champion with Napoli. Ballon d’Or nominee. Scott McTominay has enjoyed a remarkable 12 months, but nothing will top sending Scotland to their first World Cup in more than a quarter-century.
The drama of the final ten minutes at Hampden Park nearly swallowed his spectacular bicycle kick, but that strike set the tone for a night of mayhem and, ultimately, glory. It might not be the single best goal of the evening, but it was the one that ignited the stadium.
Comparable to Gareth Bale’s Champions League final overhead against Liverpool or Jude Bellingham’s acrobatic effort for England at Euro 2024, McTominay’s finish elevated him in Scotland’s imagination. Neither Bale nor Bellingham were national icons alone — but for Scotland, McTominay is that figure: a Galáctico for his country.
On a passion-fueled night in Glasgow, Scotland needed composure as much as a goal. The nature of McTominay’s strike lifted the roof off Hampden. Yet his celebration was calm, almost managerial: a composed “I’ve got this” to teammates and fans. It was the demeanor of an experienced head who understood there was still a long way to go.
That aura matters. It sustains a squad that survived a loss to Greece, relied on an unlikely favour from Belarus, and yet beat a strong Denmark side days later. Scotland coped with pre-match setbacks — losing a centre-back in warm-up and an early injury to their key winger — and still prevailed. They even started a 42-year-old goalkeeper and found an attack potent enough to cover vulnerabilities.
Andy Robertson is a seasoned winner and John McGinn remains a cult hero, but McTominay has emerged as Scotland’s poster boy. His rise mirrors the national team’s own progress. Where once he was deployed at centre-back — notably at Euro 2020 — he has climbed the pitch and become a primary attacking threat. That positional evolution has helped reshape perceptions of him.
At Euro 2024 he was more of a goal threat but not yet at his peak, and Scotland again bowed out early. Now, however, both player and team have hit their stride as they head to the World Cup.
Many point to McTominay’s move to Napoli last season as pivotal; leaving Manchester United has served several players well. But an earlier, less-noted turning point came from Steve Clarke. In March 2023, while struggling for minutes under Erik ten Hag and low on confidence, McTominay had a frank conversation with his Scotland manager. Clarke told him he didn’t look happy — a remark that prompted McTominay to reflect and seek perspective from family and friends. The result was a conscious decision to enjoy football again.
The 2022-23 season had been McTominay’s leanest for minutes since establishing himself at United. Injuries played a small part, but only 16 of his 39 appearances that season were starts. He was frustrated at not playing, calling it painful when he arrived at international camp. After Clarke’s intervention he felt a weight lift and resolved to go for it.
The response was immediate. In his first game after the conversation he scored twice in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Cyprus. Days later he scored another double in a famous Hampden win over Spain. In short order he had six goals in five matches and helped secure Scotland’s place at the Euros. That form also bolstered his standing at United, where he began operating further forward in Ten Hag’s second season.
His subsequent transfer to Napoli provided consistent minutes in an attacking midfield role, allowing McTominay to escape the shadow cast at United by players such as Bruno Fernandes and, earlier, Paul Pogba. At Napoli he blossomed, winning Serie A and attracting international recognition.
Now Scotland have a talisman in peak form, one ready to lead them on football’s biggest stage. Given how much he’s developed in the past 12–18 months, it would be no surprise to see more McTominay masterclasses at the World Cup.