Last-gasp goal from halfway line confirms Scotland's first World Cup since 1998

by · The42

European 2026 World Cup qualifying results on Tuesday:

Group B

  • Kosovo 1 Switzerland 1
  • Sweden 1 Slovenia 1 

Group C

  • Belarus 0 Greece 0
  • Scotland 4 Denmark 2

Group E

  • Bulgaria 2 Georgia 1
  • Spain 2 Turkey 2

Group H

  • Austria 1 Bosnia and Hercegovina 1
  • Romania 7 San Marino 1

Group I

  • Belgium 7 Liechtenstein 0
  • Wales 7 North Macedonia 1

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SCOTLAND WILL play in the World Cup for the first time in 28 years after two injury-time goals sealed a dramatic 4-2 victory over Denmark on Tuesday, while Spain also booked their place at the 2026 finals.

Steve Clarke’s Scotland got the win they needed to qualify from Group C in a thrilling match in Glasgow, thanks to brilliant late goals from Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean.

Elsewhere, European champions Spain, Austria, Belgium and Switzerland all also booked tickets to next year’s tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada on the final night of European qualifying.

Hampden Park erupted in just the third minute as Scott McTominay scored a sensational overhead kick to put Scotland ahead.

Denmark levelled before the hour mark through a Rasmus Hojlund penalty, but were reduced to 10 men when Rasmus Kristensen was sent off.

Lawrence Shankland thought he had stabbed Scotland into the finals, but Patrick Dorgu appeared to have broken the home fans’ hearts late on.

Up stepped Tierney, though, with a magnificent strike from distance in the third minute of added time, before McLean scored from near the halfway line.

Michael Gregoritsch’s 78th-minute goal also sent Ralf Rangnick’s Austria to their first World Cup since 1998 in a 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Spain only needed to avoid defeat by seven goals against Turkey to confirm a place at a 13th successive World Cup and goals from Dani Olmo and Mikel Oyarzabal gave them a 2-2 draw in Seville in Group E.

Jeremy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere both scored twice as Belgium booked their place in the finals by thumping Liechtenstein 7-0.

Switzerland extended their run of consecutive World Cup appearances to six with a 1-1 draw against Kosovo in Pristina.