Breaking
Champions League

Scott McTominay says heart treatment came before World Cup opener

Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay revealed he underwent a cardiac ablation procedure in Manchester.

By , Sports writer

· 2 min read

Scott McTominay
Scott McTominay (file photo) Photo: Bryan Berlin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Scott McTominay says he received treatment for an irregular heartbeat two days before Scotland's World Cup win over Haiti. He played all three group games as Scotland exited at the group stage.

Key takeaways

  • Scott McTominay underwent a cardiac ablation procedure in Manchester
  • Scotland won the opening match 1-0 in Massachusetts
  • McTominay played all three World Cup matches
  • Scotland exited at the group stage
  • McTominay missed Scotland's first four Nations League fixtures

Scott McTominay says he underwent a cardiac ablation procedure in Manchester, BBC Sport reported. The Napoli midfielder received treatment to correct an irregular heartbeat and was given the all-clear to play in the opening 1-0 victory over Haiti in Massachusetts.

McTominay on the procedure

McTominay said he had to go and get the shock on his heart two days before the Haiti game.

He said he was 100 per cent fit but was sitting in a hospital bed two days before the first game of the World Cup about to be put to sleep, which he said was not ideal.

He added that he had prepared so well and was in such good condition when something like that happened, leaving him thinking how it was happening to him.

He said you have to get on with it because that is the cards you are dealt in football, and sometimes things do not go your way.

World Cup context

McTominay played all three of Scotland’s matches at the World Cup, including the losses to Morocco and Brazil, but the team exited at the group stage.

Surgery and return

Sky Sports said McTominay underwent a cardiac ablation procedure in Manchester in September to treat a mild, benign heart arrhythmia.

He returned to action with Napoli at the start of the season, but after playing their first two Serie A matches he decided surgery was the only option and spent all of September on the sidelines after undergoing a corrective procedure.

That meant he missed Scotland’s first four Nations League fixtures under new boss Sebastien Pocognoli – a win, a draw and two defeats – but he has now been recalled to the squad after featuring in all nine of his club’s matches since the last international break.

What happens next

Scotland host North Macedonia on Friday and visit Switzerland on Monday in the Nations League, BBC Sport said. McTominay said he is good and feeling much, much better than he was. He said it was something that needed to be done and that it was a relatively straightforward procedure which went really, really well in Manchester. He added that he is just really happy to be back playing football again.

Background

McTominay is a former Manchester United player who now plays for Napoli, BBC Sport said. He is 29 years old. The FIFA World Cup is an international association football competition among senior men’s national teams, held every four years since 1930.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the 23rd edition, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, and featured 48 teams. Spain won the championship for the second time.

Sources

Topics

Spotted an error? Read our corrections policy or use the flag button above. Our editorial standards explain how we report.

Discussion

Sign in or create a free account to join the discussion. Please follow our community guidelines.