Scott McTominay Denied Penalty in Scotland's 1-0 Defeat

Scotland's Scott McTominay was denied a penalty in their 1-0 defeat to Morocco on June 20, 2026. The referee turned down two penalty appeals for challenges on John McGinn and Scott McTominay.

What happened?

Roy Keane dismissed Scotland's penalty claims, saying Scott McTominay was looking to go down. Keane stated on ITV: "I don't think it's a penalty, he's looking to go down, it's a physical game."

Penalty controversy

The incident occurred when McTominay went down under a challenge from Neil El Aynaoui. The referee deemed it a fair challenge, waving away the penalty appeals. Scotland boss Steve Clarke shared his thoughts on the incident, saying it was 50-50.

Reaction from players

Scotland midfielders Ryan Christie and Lewis Ferguson thought the referee was too lenient. Christie said: "I've never been in a game like that, especially at this level, it's normally stricter than that." Ferguson concurred, adding: "I thought the referee let a lot go for both teams."

What's next for Scotland?

Scotland's defeat leaves their World Cup hopes in jeopardy, with their next match crucial. The team will look to bounce back from this loss and secure a place in the knockout stages. Scotland had been looking to guarantee a place in the knockout stages with a win. But Morocco's early goal, scored by Ismail Saibari after just 70 seconds, rocked Scotland. The match ended 1-0 in favor of Morocco, with Scotland's penalty appeals denied.