Scott McTominay Reveals Heart Shock 48 Hours Before World Cup Opener and September Surgery

Scott McTominay has revealed that he underwent an electrical shock treatment to restore his heart rhythm just two days before Scotland began their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Haiti. The Napoli midfielder subsequently played all three of Scotland’s group-stage matches, despite having been treated in hospital shortly before the tournament began. His disclosure has brought fresh attention to the medical circumstances surrounding his World Cup participation and the explanation initially provided by the national team.

Speaking at a press conference at Hampden Park on November 10, 2026, McTominay described the incident for the first time in detail. “I had to go and get the shock on my heart two days before the Haiti game,” he said. The statement differed significantly from the public explanation given at the time, when Scotland said he had missed training because of a stomach complaint.

The timeline is particularly important because the treatment in June and the corrective procedure in September were two separate medical interventions. Between them, McTominay played three World Cup matches and returned to Italy to feature in Napoli’s first two Serie A fixtures of the new season. His account therefore raises questions about how the condition was managed across three months of international and club football.

The problem emerged in the United States

According to McTominay, the issue first appeared in early June after Scotland arrived in the United States for the World Cup. An irregularity in his heartbeat was detected during the team’s preparations. The medical term for an abnormal heart rhythm is arrhythmia, a condition in which the heart can beat too quickly, too slowly or irregularly.

Reports subsequently identified the initial treatment as electrical cardioversion. This procedure uses a controlled electrical impulse to restore a more regular heart rhythm. It was distinct from the corrective ablation procedure McTominay underwent in Manchester in September. Treating the two interventions as one operation would obscure a crucial part of the medical chronology.

McTominay continued preparing for the tournament after the initial treatment. However, he acknowledged that being in hospital and facing sedation only 48 hours before a World Cup opener was far from an ideal preparation. He said he had trained well and was in excellent physical condition before the incident occurred.

“I was 100 per cent fit, but obviously when you’re sat in a hospital bed two days before the first game of the World Cup about to get put to sleep, it’s not ideal, is it?” he explained. His comments underline the distinction between feeling physically capable of playing and experiencing the disruption of an unexpected medical procedure immediately before a major competition.

The stomach complaint explanation

One of the most consequential aspects of the disclosure concerns Scotland’s original public explanation. When McTominay missed a training session before the Haiti match, the national team attributed his absence to a stomach complaint. His latest account establishes that the medical issue involved an irregular heartbeat and treatment in hospital.

The difference deserves clarification. A stomach complaint and a cardiac rhythm problem are materially different medical circumstances. However, the information currently available does not establish who authorised the original explanation, whether McTominay agreed to it or whether the team was attempting to protect confidential medical information.

A player’s medical privacy must be respected. National associations are not obliged to publish every diagnosis or hospital detail. Yet privacy and an inaccurate public explanation are different matters. Scotland’s football authorities may need to explain how the original statement was prepared and why the nature of the situation was described in those terms.

Three World Cup appearances despite the incident

Following the June treatment, McTominay played against Haiti and appeared in all three of Scotland’s group-stage fixtures. Scotland failed to progress beyond the group stage, while McTominay’s performances also came under scrutiny. His disclosure provides additional context for that campaign, although it does not establish that the heart condition caused any particular performance difficulty.

Indeed, McTominay explicitly rejected the idea that the incident should be used as an excuse. He said it was something he had to reflect on as part of the process rather than a justification for the team’s results. Any assessment of Scotland’s World Cup performances must still consider tactical decisions, opposition quality, midfield balance and the collective execution of the team’s plans.

Nevertheless, the psychological demands of a World Cup are substantial. Players spend months preparing through club football, training camps and international fixtures. An unexpected hospital visit two days before the opening match can disrupt that preparation, even when the player subsequently feels able to compete.

McTominay admitted that the tournament’s outcome affected him for several weeks. He said he spent approximately two or three weeks feeling disappointed and mentally unsettled after Scotland’s elimination. He needed time to regain his perspective and take a break from football. He described the World Cup as the most disappointing experience of his career, adding that it took a couple of weeks to move beyond the disappointment.

His comments offer a measured account of the mental impact of a difficult tournament. Elite football is routinely assessed through goals, assists, passing figures and results. But a sudden medical problem during a major competition is also part of a player’s experience. McTominay spoke about that experience without presenting it as a clinical mental-health diagnosis or using it to excuse Scotland’s results.

The problem returned after his return to Italy

After the World Cup, McTominay returned to Italy and resumed his programme with Napoli. The irregular heartbeat continued to affect him in August. He nevertheless played in the first two Serie A matches of the new season. He was substituted after 56 minutes in Napoli’s 2-1 defeat by Como on August 30, after which the club moved towards further medical assessment and treatment.

On September 1, Napoli published an official medical update confirming that McTominay had developed a mild, benign arrhythmia and would undergo a corrective procedure in the following days. The club said he was expected to become available again after the international break. This was the first clear club-level medical statement following the June incident.

On September 8, McTominay underwent a cardiac ablation procedure at Spire Manchester Hospital. Napoli confirmed that the operation had been successful and that he would rest for approximately two weeks before returning to training. Subsequent reports identified the procedure as pulsed field ablation (PFA), a minimally invasive technique used to address abnormal electrical activity in the heart.

Cardioversion and ablation serve different purposes. Cardioversion uses a controlled electrical shock to restore a normal rhythm. Ablation targets the electrical pathways responsible for the abnormal rhythm by applying specialised energy to selected areas of heart tissue. In McTominay’s case, the June intervention addressed the immediate rhythm problem, while the September procedure was intended to correct the underlying issue.

The September procedure kept him out for the month and meant he missed Scotland’s first four fixtures under new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli. He returned to action in October. Before rejoining the national team in November, he had featured in all nine of Napoli’s matches since the previous international break.

The medical-clearance question

The central unanswered question concerns the medical arrangements under which McTominay played between June and September. Asking about the clearance process does not amount to accusing a doctor or club of negligence. McTominay said Scotland’s medical staff explained the situation to him and that Napoli’s doctors and his cardiologist in Manchester also made the treatment process clear. His account indicates that medical advice and support formed part of the process.

However, the available public information does not explain what monitoring, medication or playing restrictions, if any, were used during the World Cup. Nor has Napoli published a detailed account of the assessments conducted before McTominay appeared in its first two league matches in August. Without that information, it would be premature to conclude that the player took an unreasonable risk or that the club failed to exercise appropriate care.

There is a broader lesson for football administration. Clubs and national associations can protect medical confidentiality while maintaining accuracy in public communications. They do not need to disclose every test result, but describing one type of medical issue as another can damage confidence in official information. Clear communication arrangements between the player, club and national association are particularly important when a condition affects an elite athlete’s participation.

A return to football and the next test

At the November press conference, McTominay said he was feeling much better. He described the September procedure as necessary and said the doctors had explained the situation thoroughly. He also stressed that the treatment had gone well and that he was delighted to be playing football again. He acknowledged that reports of a heart problem can understandably alarm family members, friends and people in the media, even though his own procedure was relatively straightforward.

His return is significant for Napoli. McTominay offers physical presence in midfield, late runs into the penalty area and an ability to contribute in attacking positions. However, his availability should not be assessed simply by counting appearances. Training intensity, match workload and international travel will also require careful management. Napoli and Scotland will need to coordinate his schedule as he resumes regular football.

The most important part of this story is the complete chronology rather than the dramatic description of the electrical shock. June’s treatment, three World Cup appearances, his return to club football in August and the September ablation demonstrate how a medical issue can follow a player across an entire competitive calendar. McTominay has spoken openly about his treatment and disappointment, but the full institutional account remains incomplete.

The next questions are therefore straightforward. Will Napoli and Scotland manage his training and match workload carefully, and will the Scottish authorities explain the original stomach-complaint statement? McTominay is back on the pitch. Clearer answers about institutional responsibility and his long-term fitness are the next necessary steps.