John McGinn closes in on Scotland goalscoring record after double against North Macedonia

Match Action

John McGinn scored twice to give Scotland a 2-1 Nations League win over North Macedonia at Barclays Hampden. The Aston Villa midfielder broke the deadlock in the 54th minute before Elmin Rastoder equalized three minutes later. McGinn then secured the victory by scoring from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute, giving new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli his first home win.

Chasing History

McGinn now has 24 international goals in his 94 appearances for his country. He sits just six goals behind the long-standing national record of 30 goals shared by Kenny Dalglish and Denis Law, while his latest brace also moves him level with Hughie Gallacher on the all-time scoring list. Meanwhile, captain Andy Robertson earned his 102nd cap to equal Dalglish's appearance record.

Context

International football records often stand for decades due to the limited number of matches played per year compared to club football. Midfielders rarely reach the top tier of all-time scoring charts, making McGinn's climb past traditional strikers an unusual feat in modern international sport.