McTominay's heart attack threatens Scotland's opening at the Cup

Scott McTominay's heart attack, teammate of Kevin De Bruyne at Napoli, threatens Scotland's preparation ahead of its opening match against Haiti at the 2026 World Cup.

A highlight in Porto

During the UEFA Champions League quarter‑final on 4 November 2026, Scottish midfielder Scott McTominay (8) celebrated his team's first goal alongside Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (11) against FC Porto at the Dragão stadium.

According to AFP, the same player was hospitalized on 12 June after a cardiac failure required defibrillation.

Two days before the match against Haiti, he said at a press conference ahead of the Nations League fixtures against North Macedonia and Switzerland: “I had to undergo defibrillation two days before the match against Haiti.”

He added that being bedridden in hospital two days before the World Cup opener was far from ideal, especially on the eve of an anaesthesia.

Despite the seriousness of the incident, he was able to play the three group matches of the tournament, stating that the team was well prepared before the problem occurred.

In September, he underwent an additional operation, which forced him to miss several matches with Napoli and with Scotland, where Sébastien Pocognoli took over.