Have Scotland qualified for 2026 World Cup after beating Denmark?

It was the biggest matchup of the week. Scotland and Denmark clashed in the final matchday of the UEFA 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, with only one of them making it through to soccer’s biggest tournament. After the 4-2 win in Glasgow, the Tartan Army erupted, as Scotland accomplished their mission.

The game between Scotland and Denmark was as tense and tightly contested as expected in the anteroom. However, thanks to Scott McTominay’s heroic bycicle-kick goal, the Scots broke the deadlock just three minutes into the game.

However, the night had a lot more tension in store for the packed-out crowd at Hampden Park. Somehow, someway, Scotland weathered the storm, finding the late game-winner to secure all three points in the UEFA 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.

With the nail-biting 4-2 win, Scotland secured first place in Group C and officially punched their ticket to the FIFA 2026 World Cup. It wasn’t easy, nor was it stress-free, but the Tartan Army will be heading to North America. Fans in the US, Mexico, and Canada better get used to the sound of bagpipes, as they will be hearing a lot of them next summer.

Kieran Tierney of Scotland

Group standings

After a dramatic finale, Scotland finished atop Group C with 13 points—officially qualifying for the FIFA 2026 World Cup. Denmark fell just short of their end goal, with 11 points. Closing out the standings were Greece (7 points) and Belarus (2).

see also

Are Denmark eliminated from 2026 World Cup after losing to Scotland?

Though they failed to punch their ticket to the World Cup, Denmark aren’t eliminated from contention. Instead, they will be competing in the UEFA World Cup Qualifiers playoffs, where 16 teams will fight for the last four European spots in soccer’s biggest tournament.

Scotland back in the World Cup

For the first time since the turn of the 21st century, Scotland are back in the FIFA World Cup. The Scots hadn’t made it to the tournament since the 1998 edition—held in France. Now, the Tartan Army will be competing for eternal glory for the first time in 28 years. The goal for Steve Clarke’s team is clear: making it out of the World Cup’s group stage for the first time in Scotland’s history.