Scotland is heading to its first World Cup since 1998, and Kenny McLean wants to make sure this isn’t just a nostalgia tour. The Norwich City midfielder, whose sensational halfway-line goal helped seal qualification, has made the squad’s ambitions clear: get out of the group stage and build something that lasts.
From drought to deluge
Scotland punched its ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup on November 18, 2025, dismantling Denmark 4-2 in a playoff match. Scott McTominay and Kieran Tierney both found the net, but it was McLean’s injury-time strike from near the halfway line that became the defining image of the night.
The victory ended Scotland’s 28-year World Cup absence. Their last appearance came at France 1998.
The 2026 mission
