Scotland are going to the World Cup. A night of extraordinary drama at Hampden Park ended with a 4-2 win over Denmark, two stoppage-time goals, and the end of a 28-year wait for a place at football's biggest tournament.

Only a win would do for Steve Clarke's side. Denmark arrived in Glasgow top of Group C and needing only a draw to qualify automatically, while Scotland had to win to overtake them. By the final whistle, Scotland had topped the group, Denmark were heading for the play-offs, and Hampden was in delirium.

McTominay sets the tone in three minutes

The tone was set inside three minutes. Scott McTominay rose to meet a cross and scored with a spectacular overhead kick, sending the home crowd into raptures and giving Scotland the perfect start. It was a goal worthy of the occasion, and Clarke later called it the best overhead kick he had ever seen.

Denmark, however, refused to fold. Rasmus Hojlund levelled from the penalty spot in the 58th minute, and the balance of the night shifted again when Denmark's Rasmus Kristensen was shown a second yellow card in the 61st minute, leaving the visitors with ten men.

Shankland, then a Danish reply

Scotland made the extra man count. Substitute Lawrence Shankland stabbed home from close range in the 78th minute to make it 2-1, and qualification suddenly looked within reach. But Denmark answered again, with Patrick Dorgu finishing calmly in the 82nd minute to make it 2-2 and silence Hampden once more.

With the clock running down, Scotland needed one more moment. They produced two. In the 93rd minute, substitute Kieran Tierney collected a loose ball outside the area and curled a superb left-footed strike into the far corner to make it 3-2. Then, in the 98th minute, Kenny McLean collected the ball inside his own half, spotted Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel upfield, and lobbed him from the halfway line with the last kick of the game.

First World Cup since 1998

The 4-2 win takes Scotland to their first men's World Cup since France 1998. Six managers had tried and failed to end the wait since Craig Brown led the nation to that tournament, and Clarke has now become the first head coach to lead Scotland to three major tournaments, after back-to-back European Championships.

"We're going to a World Cup. Not bad," Clarke said afterwards, as the scale of the achievement sank in. Captain Andy Robertson described it as one of the greatest nights of the players' lives, and the scenes at full time — players and supporters together, singing long after the whistle — backed him up.

Scotland will learn their group opponents when the World Cup draw takes place in Washington on 5 December. Denmark, meanwhile, must regroup for the play-offs in March. For Scotland, though, the waiting is over: after 28 years, the Tartan Army has a World Cup to look forward to, and a night at Hampden that will be talked about for a generation. Sources: Sky Sports via All Football and Between the Posts.