For 28 long years, Scotland fans have endured every form of footballing heartbreak imaginable. But on November 19, 2025, everything changed as the national team finally secured their place at the 2026 World Cup with a dramatic qualification against Denmark.
The Jinxes and Superstitions That Defined Decades
As Denmark scored a late equaliser that threatened to derail Scotland's dreams, journalist Ross McCafferty found himself blaming his friend Ossie for the potential catastrophe. "That was your fault," he hissed, referencing Ossie's earlier comment about preferring Kansas to Los Angeles or New York if Scotland qualified.
This moment captured the essence of supporting Scotland through nearly three decades of World Cup absence. Fans had turned to any explanation, clinging to superstitions and invented jinxes to make sense of the constant disappointment.
McCafferty recalled one particularly tortured afternoon before a crucial qualifier where he spent hours debating whether to wear lucky boxers or honour the "true Scotsman" tradition in his kilt. "In the end, I genuinely think I did a half with each," he admitted, though like all previous superstitions, it failed to deliver the desired result.
From France 98 to 28 Years of Hurt
The last time Scotland graced the World Cup stage was at France 98, when McCafferty was just seven years old. He still remembers travelling on a bitterly cold overnight ferry from Hull, cheering Craig Burley's goal against Norway, and dancing with Cameroon fans in Nantes.
But as the years stretched on, those happy memories began to feel like relics from another era. The near-misses and disappointments accumulated: draws against Moldova, Lithuania, and Macedonia; defeats to Wales, Slovakia and Georgia.
The pattern became painfully familiar. Scotland didn't score last-minute winners to reach tournaments; they conceded them. They didn't produce Ballon d'Or nominees scoring spectacular overhead kicks; they watched opponents do it and wondered why they couldn't develop that talent.
A New Scotland Emerges
Something felt different about this qualification campaign. While elements of the match against Denmark featured familiar Scottish traits – self-defeating tactics, moments of madness, nerve-shredding complications – the outcome broke from tradition.
For years, Scotland had been a team that suffered big moments rather than creating them. Under manager Steve Clarke, they've transformed into a side that inflicts drama on others. The late goals, the game-changing incidents, the moments of brilliance that once went against Scotland now work in their favour.
Players like Kieran Tierney have become symbols of this new era. McCafferty noted that his crippling fear of flying, which he'd always said would only be cured by finding someone he loved enough to board a plane, was finally overcome. "It turns out that someone was Kieran Tierney," he wrote.
Looking Ahead to North America
With the World Cup expanded and Scotland drawn against minnows like Haiti and rivals England, there's genuine belief that this team can achieve more than previous tournament appearances.
The recent European Championships in 2020 and 2024 saw Scotland "stink the joint out" despite the "No Scotland, no party" battle cries. This time, there's optimism that the party might extend beyond the group stages.
As McCafferty concluded, "Last night, everything went our way, the Danes were left cursing their luck, and we turned the page on 28 years of hurt. For once, the stars aligned, the jinxes didn't affect us, and that sheer cosmic stupidity felt like galactic intelligence."
After nearly three decades of waiting, Scottish fans can finally look forward to a World Cup adventure. Though some superstitions die hard – McCafferty plans to "give Kansas a miss" just to be safe.
