Two days before Scotland's World Cup campaign kicked off, Scott McTominay had treatment on his heart. He says it came at the worst possible moment, with Scotland about to face Haiti in Boston, but he still went on to play through the tournament and is back with Napoli.
The treatment and the trip to hospital
McTominay said he needed heart treatment, describing it as a shock on his heart, while the BBC version of events refers to an ablation procedure that went really, really well in Manchester. The Daily Mail also reported that he was whisked away to hospital straight from the airport via a police escort.
He told the BBC: "I was 100% [fit], but obviously, whenever you're sat in a hospital bed two days before the first game of the World Cup about to get put to sleep, it's not ideal, is it?" He later said the procedure looked worse to people hearing about it from the outside, but that it went well.
Back in action for club and country
The scare did not stop him playing football soon after. McTominay made 3 World Cup appearances for Scotland in 2026, playing 279 minutes, and he also has 8 Serie A appearances for Napoli this year, with 599 minutes and 2 goals.
He had already undergone corrective surgery at the start of the season and missed Scotland's opening four Nations League fixtures. Scotland went on to beat Haiti 1-0 in their opener, and their next match is Scotland vs FYR Macedonia on Friday.
McTominay's own line sums up the mood best, though he has been back on the pitch quickly enough. "Yeah, I'm good," he said, and the football part of the story is already moving on.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
