On a memorable night for Scottish football, one that ended a 28-year wait for FIFA World Cup qualification, Scott McTominay produced arguably the finest goal of his career. The Napoli midfielder, also the reigning Serie A Player of the Year threw himself acrobatically into the air to set the tone for a crucial qualifier against Denmark in Glasgow. At the moment, he is enjoying a dream run for both club and country, as per Goal.com. Scotland knew that victory over Denmark at Hampden Park would seal their first World Cup appearance since 1998 and McTominay could not have delivered a better start. The Scots won the game 4-2.
In just the third minute, McTominay connected with an inviting cross from Ben Gannon-Doak and executed a stunning overhead kick that instantly brought back memories of Cristiano Ronaldo’s famous strike for Real Madrid against Juventus in 2018.
Scott McTominay, a work of art pic.twitter.com/OyQncHPpKc
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The job was far from done. Denmark struck back just before the hour mark through Rasmus Hojlund, who is McTominay’s teammate at Napoli and his former Manchester United colleague, who converted from the penalty spot. A draw would not have been enough for Scotland, while a point was all Denmark needed to qualify. The home side were lifted, though, when Rasmus Kristensen was sent off and substitute Lawrence Shankland put Scotland ahead again. Their joy was short-lived as Patrick Dorgu levelled almost immediately but Kieran Tierney restored the lead for the third time for the Scots, and Kenny McLean, who had come on for the injured Gannon-Doak, added a fourth to send the stadium into delirium.
Having missed the cut-off for the 2025 award cycle, McTominay’s strike has already put him in early contention for the 2026 Puskas Award, given to the most beautiful goal of the year. The goal wasn’t just spectacular in execution but carried immense significance because of the moment and the stakes.
He will, however, have early competition from Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven, whose recent Champions League goal has also been marked as a strong 2026 contender. The Dutchman sprinted nearly the entire length of the pitch at blistering speed before finishing calmly, a goal reminiscent of Son Heung-min’s Puskas-winning strike, proving that solo efforts can indeed take home the prize.
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