Bicycle kick and goal from halfway qualifies Scotland for first World Cup since 1998

When Scott McTominay scored an exquisite bicycle kick for Scotland to put them on course for their first World Cup since 1998, it was hard to imagine life getting any better for the Tartan Army.

Then it got worse. Then better again. Then way worse. Then way, way better. And then ... an explosion of pure, unadulterated ecstasy.

Football is often described as an emotional rollercoaster. It’s a cliche for a reason, and the events of Wednesday morning (AEDT) were proof, if it was needed, of the incredible power of the international game, and its unrivalled ability to tug on heartstrings.

Let’s start at Hampden Park in Glasgow, where Scotland faced Denmark, with the winner to seal top spot in Group C in UEFA qualifying – and with it, a direct berth at next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

That McTominay’s third-minute goal was almost relegated to footnote status underlines the bonkers nature of this game.

We may as well fast-forward to the finish. Reduced to 10 men in the 62nd minute when Rasmus Kristensen copped his second yellow card, Denmark had equalised twice to make it 2-2, their second goal coming eight minutes from the end of regulation time.

For them, a draw would have been enough, and as nervous energy crackled through the stadium, they appeared to have it in the bag.

But in the third minute of stoppage time, Kieran Tierney pounced on a loose ball at the top of the box and curled it past Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. Advantage: Scotland.

Having gone through so much World Cup pain over the years, though, the Scottish know better than most that it ain’t over until it’s over. Cue the efforts to drain the remaining time on the clock by whatever means necessary.

The first thought on Kenny McLean’s mind, when he received the ball inside his defensive half, almost two minutes past the six additional minutes planned, would have been finding a teammate who could take the ball on a trip to the corner flag. He had a free teammate overlapping on his right, giving him precisely that option.

Then McLean looked up and saw Schmeichel a mile out of his area, having pushed high in Denmark’s frantic search for a third goal – which still, at that point, felt eminently possible.

So he went for it, scooping the ball from halfway, over Schmeichel’s head, through the air and ... in.

Game over. Scotland 4, Denmark 2, and somehow, McTominay’s earlier effort – the most precise, textbook example of a bicycle kick you could ever hope to see – was suddenly the third-best goal of the match.

The Danes, who were bested by the Socceroos at the last World Cup in 2022, will have to fight for qualification in March’s UEFA play-offs.

For Scotland, the party begins now.

Earlier on Wednesday, another fairytale unfolded in the Middle East, as Iraq scored a penalty in the 17th minute of stoppage time to beat the United Arab Emirates 2-1 and 3-2 on aggregate.

Graham Arnold, the former Australia coach who was appointed earlier this year to oversee Iraq’s mission to reach their first World Cup since 1986, couldn’t bear to watch; television cameras showed him with his back turned to the pitch, agonisingly watching the crowd at the Basra International Stadium instead of Amir Al-Ammari as he lined up the spot kick.

When it went in, he was mobbed by Iraqi substitutes and members of his coaching staff – and then again in the post-match press conference, which was crashed by delirious players.

The Lions of Mesopotamia, as they’re known, aren’t quite there yet; they still need to negotiate March’s intercontinental play-offs, involving five other teams, to confirm their spot at the 2026 World Cup.

But given Arnold’s incredible history of mastering such high-pressure moments, you wouldn’t put it past them, or him.