Scotland defeated Curacao 4-1 in a World Cup warmup match at Hampden Park on Saturday, May 30, 2026, spoiling the return of head coach Dick Advocaat following a pivotal first-half red card.
Curacao opened the scoring 15 minutes into the game when Tahith Chong controlled a long pass from Riechedly Bazoer, outpaced the defense, and converted a shot into the short corner.
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Scotland missed an initial opportunity to equalize when Eloy Room saved a far-corner header from George Hirst.
The momentum shifted before halftime when Curacao forward Jürgen Locadia struck right-back Aaron Hickey with an elbow, resulting in a direct red card after a VAR review upgraded the initial yellow card.
Scotland capitalized five minutes later as substitute Findlay Curtis scored from a difficult angle to equalize at 1-1.
Lawrence Shankland subsequently scored two consecutive goals to extend the Scottish lead to 3-1, breaking the resistance of the 10-man Curacao squad.
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Ryan Christie finalized the 4-1 scoreline by converting a penalty kick after Jurien Gaari fouled a Scottish player inside the penalty area.
Curacao entered the match ranked 82nd in the world, 39 spots behind the 43rd-ranked Scottish team.
Advocaat returned to the sidelines for Curacao just three weeks after Fred Rutten resigned from the position, following Advocaat's brief departure in February due to his daughter's health.
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Curacao will play its next exhibition match against Aruba before facing Germany, Ecuador, and Ivory Coast in the group stage of the World Cup tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
