In a historic moment filled with jubilation, Scotland’s Tartan Army celebrated the national team’s qualification for the World Cup for the first time in 28 years.
The excitement was so palpable that the British Geological Survey (BGS) recorded seismic activity akin to an “extremely small earthquake” following Kenny McLean’s stunning lob over Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, sealing a thrilling 4-2 victory.
Further evidence of the fans’ fervor came just moments later when the final whistle blew on Wednesday night, generating another significant spike in seismic activity.
The BGS noted that these readings were captured at their station located in Dalmarnock, approximately 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from Hampden Park.
A slight tremor was also recorded around the time Kieran Tierney curled in Scotland’s third goal in the dying moments of injury time.
However, it was during the critical moments between 21:48 and 21:50 that the most significant movement was detected—coinciding perfectly with McLean’s extraordinary halfway-line strike.
The match drew an official attendance of 49,587 enthusiastic supporters.
The recorded seismic activity ranged between magnitudes -1 and zero on the Richter Scale, generating power equivalent to 200 kW—enough energy to charge between 25 and 40 car batteries.
Interestingly, the BGS explained this activity mirrors the force produced by kicking a football at about 900 m/s (2,013 mph)—a speed astonishingly 15 times faster than the current record for the hardest strike, estimated at 131.2 mph (58 m/s) by Brazilian defender Ronny Heberson in 2007.
In a similar vein, the energy generated by Taylor Swift fans was also noted during her three concert series at Murrayfield Stadium last summer.
However, the BGS emphasized that direct comparisons between the two events are challenging due to “different site conditions.”
Although around 300 earthquakes naturally occur in the UK each year, only about 30 possess sufficient strength to be felt by the public.
Just last month, a 3.3 magnitude tremor was recorded and felt in homes across Perthshire.
