As Scotland celebrated Andy Robertson winning his 102nd cap to equal Kenny Dalglish’s appearance record in a 2-1 Nations League win over North Macedonia, attention shifted to another of Dalglish’s milestones. Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn scored twice in the match, moving him within six goals of the long-standing national scoring record.
Chasing History
McGinn now has 24 international goals in 94 appearances, leaving him six shy of the 30-goal benchmark shared by Dalglish and Denis Law. Speaking in a post-match interview reported by BBC Sport, McGinn admitted that the record has been on his mind, noting that climbing the scoring chart signifies team success. At 32 years old, he has now drawn level with historic Scottish forward Hughie Gallacher.
The prospect of a midfielder breaking the record highlights an unexpected career trajectory, as Scotland has historically produced notable strikers rather than goalscoring midfielders. Despite experiencing a dry patch in 2025 where he failed to score for his country for the first time since 2020, McGinn returned to scoring form under new international head coach Sebastien Pocognoli.
Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin told BBC Sport that having a player like McGinn is invaluable, adding that he would be surprised if the midfielder does not eventually claim the record within the next year or two.
A New Role and Popularity
Taking on penalty-taking duties for his club and country is expected to help McGinn’s pursuit of the record. Prior to this season, he had only taken one career spot-kick for Scotland against Norway in 2023, but he has since taken on regular penalty responsibilities despite missing one against Fulham.
Teammate Che Adams told BBC Sport that McGinn will not stop until he captures the record, describing him as the best person he has met in football and praising him for earning widespread recognition.
Regardless of whether he surpasses Dalglish and Law, McGinn’s character and humor have already solidified his status within Scottish football. Whether joking about his career trajectory or entertaining fans and teammates, the midfielder has firmly won the backing of the nation.
