Across 72 international appearances, the Napoli star has 15 goals and two assists, figures that don’t fully capture his influence.
He repeatedly rises to the occasion: his first international goal was a 2021 winner against Israel; he famously hit a brace to topple Spain at Hampden; and then there was that memorable night against Denmark.
Now at the World Cup, the pressure on him—alongside Tartan Army favourite John McGinn—to change games is immense.
Against Haiti, when McTominay struck the post with a brilliant effort, BBC Sport voters still ranked three salmon-pink shirts above him; versus Morocco, his 5.09 rating left seven Scots ahead.
But is that a fair reflection?
He completed 93% of his passes against Haiti (second-best among the starters) and 89% on Friday (third-best). He took two shots in both matches—one more than in November’s win over Denmark, when he was hailed a hero. He also covered over 12km versus Haiti, the most of any player, and against Morocco only Lewis Ferguson bettered his distance by 369 metres.
A stomach bug unnerved Scotland fans before the opener in Boston, but he still played. He didn’t dominate, yet an under-par Scotland still secured a 1-0 win.
Morocco’s blistering start—befitting the Africa Cup of Nations winners—shook the Scots. But from just before half-time into the second period, Scotland gained more control, even if the clearer chances continued to fall to the opposition.