Scotland Stun Denmark With Late Goals to Reach World Cup

Scotland is finally going back to the World Cup — and they did it in unbelievable fashion. At a loud and electric Hampden Park, Scotland beat Denmark 4-2 on Tuesday night to earn their first World Cup spot since 1998. Two goals in stoppage time turned the game into a historic moment for Scottish fans.

For most of the match, things looked tough for Scotland. Denmark, even after going down to 10 players because of a second yellow card for Rasmus Kristensen, seemed ready to finish on top of Group C. Patrick Dorgu tied the game 2-2 in the 81st minute, which would have been enough to send Denmark to the World Cup and push Scotland into the playoffs.

But Scotland refused to give up. After a qualifying run full of ups and downs — including a 3-2 loss to Greece just days earlier — they saved their most dramatic moment for last.

In the third minute of stoppage time, substitute Kieran Tierney picked up a loose ball near the box. He looked up and curved a beautiful left-footed shot past Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. The crowd erupted as Tierney’s goal gave Scotland a 3-2 lead.

Then came the final blow. As Denmark rushed forward searching for another equalizer, Schmeichel left his goal wide open. Kenny McLean spotted the chance and fired a long shot from the halfway line straight into the empty net. That goal made it 4-2 and confirmed Scotland’s trip to next year’s World Cup in North America.

Scotland captain Andy Robertson summed up the team’s attitude during the wild night. “Never say die. We keep going until the end,” he said. “We put the country through a lot, but it’s worth it. We’re going to the World Cup.”

Denmark, who had been in control of the group earlier on, now must fight for a spot through the playoffs. They earned only one point from their last two games, including a draw against Belarus, which opened the door for Scotland.

Scotland got the perfect start when Scott McTominay scored an amazing overhead kick in the third minute off a Ben Gannon-Doak cross. Denmark took over large parts of the match after that, and Rasmus Hojlund tied it with a penalty after a long VAR review found Robertson’s foul was inside the box.

Lawrence Shankland later gave Scotland a brief 2-1 lead before Denmark tied it again — setting up the crazy finish.

Scotland manager Steve Clarke said he felt calm all day because he trusted his players. By the end of the night, that trust paid off with one of the biggest wins in Scotland’s modern football history.

Now, the Tartan Army can finally start planning for the World Cup.

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