McTominay jumps higher than Ronaldo

On November 19, midfielder Scott McTominay recreated Cristiano Ronaldo's superb overhead kick, bringing Scotland back to the World Cup after a 28-year wait.

The point of contact in Ronaldo's classic goal (pictured above) compared to McTominay.

Scott McTominay created one of the most spectacular moments in Scottish football history when he performed a 2.53 meter bicycle kick in the 4-2 win over Denmark in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on November 19.

The overhead kick helped Scotland qualify for the World Cup after 28 years of waiting, and helped him be directly compared to the masterpieces of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.

According to statistics circulated after the match, McTominay's finishing touch reached 2.53 m (8.3 ft), higher than the classic bicycle kick that Ronaldo performed against Juventus in the 2018 Champions League (2.38 m - 7.7 ft).

Notably, Bale in the 2018 Champions League final touched the ball at 2.37 m, while Wayne Rooney's volley against Man City in 2011 was recorded at a height of 1.52 m.

McTominay’s strike came just three minutes into the game, setting off a thrilling chase at Hampden Park. Despite Denmark being sent off in the second half, Scotland were held to a draw twice before sealing a 4-2 win and a place in the 2026 World Cup.

Manager Steve Clarke called it “the best overhead kick ever seen”, while many commentators compared McTominay to Michael Jordan because of his absurd leap. One social media analysis account used the 22cm diameter of the ball to estimate the height of the impact point, claiming the Napoli midfielder surpassed Ronaldo.

After 6 matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, McTominay scored 2 goals and had 1 assist for Scotland. He also has 4 goals and 1 assist in 14 matches for Napoli in all competitions this season.

Source: https://znews.vn/mctominay-bat-nhay-cao-hon-ronaldo-post1604651.html