A goal that sent Scotland to the World Cup is now on a banknote
Scott McTominay's iconic bicycle kick against Denmark, which secured Scotland's World Cup qualification after 28 years, is now featured on a banknote.
Scott McTominay's iconic bicycle kick against Denmark, which secured Scotland's World Cup qualification after 28 years, is now featured on a banknote.
Scott McTominay's iconic bicycle kick against Denmark, which secured Scotland's World Cup qualification after 28 years, is now featured on a banknote.
A stunning bicycle kick became the symbol of Scotland's 28-year struggle to qualify for the World Cup, and it is no surprise that the country decided to celebrate it by illustrating it on a banknote.
The goal scorer was Scott McTominay, and it came in a must-win World Cup qualifying match against Denmark on November 18, 2025. The equation before the match was simple — if Scotland won, they would qualify for the World Cup.
It was only the third minute of the game at Hampden Park in the Scottish city of Glasgow. Winger Ben Doak floated a cross into the box, and McTominay pushed himself into the air to net a stunning overhead kick past Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. Inspired by that opening goal, Scotland defeated Denmark 4-2.
Joy and celebrations broke out all over Scotland as fans prepared to see their country on the global stage for the first time since the 1998 World Cup in France. Now, the Bank of Scotland has decided to imprint that iconic moment on a limited-edition £20 banknote.
Only 100 of the commemorative notes have been produced, with fans able to win them through a series of charity events in the coming weeks.
For McTominay, becoming a national symbol was something surreal. "Things like that don't happen often, so to have the opportunity to put obviously a great goal on top of a banknote is something that is a bit surreal to be honest and I'm just extremely proud," McTominay told the BBC. "I want to go to the World Cup and give a great account of ourselves and show everybody that Scotland is a really good team," he added.
His words about Scotland's World Cup hopes also carry significant weight. Though Scotland participated in eight tournaments till 1998, they never progressed beyond the group stage. McTominay's iconic goal has now added to the team's expectations this time.
Scotland has to face some of the big names this time in their opening rounds. They are placed in Group C alongside Brazil, Morocco and Haiti. The World Cup kicks off on June 11 and is jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.