John McGinn Responds to Scotland Fan's Lifelong World Cup Promise
Aston Villa captain John McGinn has replied to one Scotland fan's viral promise following their World Cup qualification.
Despite entering the match as underdogs, Scotland secured a historic 4-2 win over Denmark on Tuesday, earning automatic a spot in the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
Scotland will join England as the second home nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place across North America next summer, with Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland all in the play-offs
Of course, celebrations for the historic win ran well into the night, as nearly 50,000 Scotland fans inside Hampden Park making their excitement for the World Cup known after the full-time whistle.
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But there's one fan who may be regretting the promise that they made on social media ahead of Scotland's world cup qualification after Villa captain McGinn replied to the now viral post.
As Scotland's Scott McTominay found the back of the net with a stunning bicycle kick goal just three minutes into the match against Denmark, some fans dared to dream that World Cup qualification could soon happen.
Although the hosts ended up winning the match by two thanks to extra-time goals from Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean, victory was far from guaranteed going into the match, something that one Scotland fan made abundantly clear on social media.
Taking to X, Scotland fan Jemma vowed that, if Scotland defied the odds and beat Denmark to qualify for the World Cup, she would get a tattoo of national star McGinn's face to celebrate.
However, Jemma didn't just promise to get a regular tattoo of McGinn tucked away somewhere that nobody would see it, she took it one step further and assured she would get the tattoo directly on her forehead.
Posting on X, she claimed: "If Scotland qualify tonight, I’m tattooing John McGinns face on my forehead."
Although Jemma would have likely hoped that she could quietly ignore the promise and get away without having to get the tattoo, McGinn wasn't prepared to let it slide as he shared the post on his own X account.
Reposting Jemma's promise, the Scotland star joked: "In a bit of a pickle I imagine".
Why John McGinn wasn't allowed to take part in Scotland's dressing room celebrations
As soon as Scotland's qualification for the World Cup was secured, fans across the country and the players on the pitch immediately started celebrating the historic moment.
But for McGinn, these celebrations were short-lived, as he was randomly selected to provide a drug test shortly after the match finished.
The Aston Villa man took to social media and alongside a photograph of himself wrote: “Drug test not allowed in the changing room, can’t write it.”
According to UEFA regulations, players may have blood and urine samples collected in competitions - including at training, at home and following matches.
Samples are then analysed for banned substances such as steroids, EPO, growth hormones and prohibited stimulants.
Players are also selected for a doping control test by a random draw or via UEFA targeting.
Random selection is made by a system as soon as the teamsheets are submitted, with two Doping Control Officers (DCOs) usually in attendance for the tests.
Topics: Scotland, Football, Aston Villa, FIFA World Cup
Ben McCrum