How often do we find ourselves asking, “How good was that?” after witnessing a phenomenal goal? Hampden Park was the stage for not one, but three such moments on Tuesday night.

But where do these goals stand in the pantheon of national team greats? It’s a challenge to decide, given the rich history of Scottish football.

As someone who has experienced Scottish football through seven decades, my journey began in the 1960s. I attended my first international match at the age of 13, when Scotland faced West Germany in a bid for the 1970 World Cup qualification. That night was marked by a memorable moment—a thunderous goal by Bobby Murdoch that secured a 1-1 draw for Scotland.

The path of a Scotland fan is often long and challenging, yet every so often, we’re treated to glimpses of brilliance that make it all worthwhile.

Here is a personal compilation of the greatest Scottish goals I have had the privilege of witnessing. This list isn’t definitive, but it serves as a starting point for a spirited football debate.

Kenny McLean launches the ball into the Denmark net for a barely believable fourth goal

10. Kenny McLean

Scotland 4 Denmark 2. November 18, 2025. Hampden

There are moments when the nation communally shouts the same word. For Scotland this can often start with an S and is not fit for publication. The Hampden roar of ‘shoot’ presaged a wonderful moment. It was a goal that had national and personal resonance. It was the signature moment of a successful World Cup qualifying campaign. But it was gratifying in that it was scored by a player who has been decried, even mocked. McLean seized the moment with technical skill and a daud of Caledonian bravado. Kieran Tierney’s goal was stunning, too, so this may be considered a shared prize.

The legendary Denis Law glances the ball beyond Gordon Banks and England in 1966

9 Denis Law

Scotland 3 England 4. April 2, 1966. Hampden

It is essential that a Law goal is included and there will be those who opt for the slick finish at Wembley when we became ‘world champions’ in 1967. I prefer his devastating intervention in 1966. This was a distinctive Law goal. A darting run culminating in a lethal header, it encapsulated much about the great man. High on the terraces, one immediately grasped what had happened. Yes, the net shimmered but it was that thatch of hair that was visible from the mountain top that was dubbed a terrace.

John Greig scores for the Scots in their one and only victory over the Italians in 1965

8 John Greig

Scotland 1 Italy 0. November 9, 1965. Hampden

This goal is shrouded in the midst of time but will not be forgotten by those who were there or, like me, pressed their lugs against a transistor radio. It was the first and only time Scotland defeated Italy. The World Cup qualification match was drifting to a stalemate when Greig surged forward and drove the ball inside the post. Cue bedlam. Cue hopes that we would qualify for England 66. Cue inevitable dismay when Italy cuffed us in the return fixture. But that moment held hope and detonated a joyous release.

Sheer joy for Leigh Griffiths as he celebrates his second free-kick screamer against England

7 Leigh Griffiths

Scotland 2 England 2. June 10, 2017. Hampden

So what free-kick to pick? It has to be the second for the sheer impertinence of its design and execution. Griffiths, one of the purest strikers of the ball I have seen, had already confounded Joe Hart from a free-kick. He had the technique and the gumption to do so again. Hampden exploded before succumbing to the national ailment of being rendered incapable by a boot in the testimonials. England, inevitably, equalised and another World Cup finals drifted into the distance.

Kenny Dalglish scored a quite unforgettable goal against the Belgians back in 1982

6 Kenny Dalglish

Belgium 3 Scotland 2 December 15, 1982. Heysel

The King scored two marvellous goals that night. The second was named by the BBC as goal of the year. A simple, smart pass by Graeme Souness was followed by a clever turn by Dalglish on the edge of the box which flummoxed his marker. He then drifted outside another defender before finishing imperiously with his left foot. Dalglish scored a vital goal against Wales at Anfield and nutmegged Ray Clemence at Hampden, but his goal in Brussels was the mark of the player: strong, clever and with a deadly finish.

David Narey savours the thunderous effort which shocked Brazil at 1982 World Cup

5 David Narey

Brazil 4 Scotland 1 June 18, 1982. Estadio Benito Villamarin, Seville

The gifted Narey, a splendidly modern defender who could also play in midfield, thrashed home the opener in this World Cup group tie. Even at the time, there was a wince at what he had provoked in the Brazilians, whose defensive frailty was disguised by extraordinary attacking prowess. That bash from Narey presaged a doing. But for one moment the Tartan Army could bask in joy, though even the most optimistic knew it would disappear like snow off a dyke in an Andalusian sun.

James McFadden fires an unstoppable shot into the French net in Paris in 2007

4 James McFadden

France 0 Scotland 1 September 12, 2007. Parc des Princes

Faddy’s lope forward followed by a goal of stunning velocity and mesmerising trajectory was a sign of the times. We could produce magic but not the substance of qualification. Yet Faddy’s goal lives on in the realisation that Scotland always had the capacity to confound the best. His first touch was delicate from a long, high ball but his left-foot strike was devastating. It was a wondrous combination that marks the great player. There was a softness then a ruthless power.

Joe Jordan flies through the air as his header seals Scotland’s passage to World Cup in 1973

3 Joe Jordan

Scotland 2 Czechoslovakia 1 September 26, 1973. Hampden

Willie Morgan checks, then crosses. Big Joe hurls himself forward and Scotland have qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1958. Years of anguish had been banished by that stoop to conquer. I was there that night and it remains one of the great moments in my personal football history. It has some resonance today. Younger generations will be savouring the experience of their first qualification for a World Cup. Jordan went on to score in three World Cups but that night in front of the covered terracing he delivered a nod to wonderful history.

No Scotland fan will ever forget the moment Archie Gemmill dribbled past Dutch defence to score what proved the winning goal

2 Archie Gemmill

Scotland 3 Netherlands 2 June 11, 1978. Mendoza City Stadium

Sacrilege! Wee Archie in second place? One of the greatest goals of all World Cups is only a runner-up. Bear with this witness to that wonderful dribble and finish, albeit only experienced live on a dodgy TV. Gemmill’s goal was magnificent in its execution. It testified to Scottish mischief and cunning in the box. It gave us hope but it did not last the game. The bitter taste of Gemmill’s goal is that it led to us beating a team that ultimately reached the final. Hours after Archie’s clenched fist, though, our team were packing for home.

Scott McTominay rises highest to execute his incredible overhead kick against Danes

1 Scott McTominay

Scotland 4 Denmark 2 November 18, 2025. Hampden

The idea was almost absurd. The ball had little pace on it and he was surrounded by defenders. What to do? Simple. Turn one’s back on the ball and leap, bringing one’s foot into a wonderful synchronisation with the flight of the ball. It was a moment that no Scottish fan will ever forget. Many of the above goals were bright and beautiful. They brought forth a tumult that ultimately signified nothing. McTominay’s brilliance led the way to a World Cup. It meant something. Today it seems to mean everything.