Donny Strathie had spent decades following Scotland at home and abroad, but there was one box he had never checked. At 76, he finally made the trip to the United States to watch his country at the FIFA World Cup for the first time. Scotland’s supporters were euphoric in Boston after a 1-0 win over Haiti in their opening Group C match, and Strathie was set to attend the clash against Morocco, which would have been his first-ever World Cup match in person. Unfortunately, he died on Sunday.

Strathie, born in Camelon, collapsed in the foyer of the Norwood hotel in Boston, where he and his two friends had been staying. He spent most of his life in Grangemouth, where he was the proud captain of Bowhouse in the Falkirk Pool League and a long-time member of the Falkirk District Tartan Army.

Lynne Connell, the child of Donny’s best friend, stated that Strathie’s main goal was to see Scotland play in a World Cup. Apparently, he had not stopped talking about it since qualification was confirmed in November. He kept telling everyone about his lifelong dream and how 2026 (considering his age) could just be his last chance to realize it.

“Anyone who met Donny would never forget him,” said his best friend, Stewart Easton. “You guys have seen the characters that the Tartan Army are. Donny was absolutely the epitome of that. He was one of these real larger-than-life characters, so funny.”

After word spread, the tribute came together quickly. The Tartan Army — a name used for the traveling supporters of Scotland’s national team — shared a message in which they stated that they had learned of Strathie’s death in Boston. He had a ticket to the Morocco game but never had the opportunity to realize his World Cup dream, and it would mean a lot to his family if supporters could organize a minute’s applause in the 76th minute of the match. The number 76 was chosen on purpose to represent the 76-year-old.

As the clock struck the 76th minute at Gillette Stadium, the Tartan Army’s chants and bagpipes fell silent, and a round of applause slowly spread throughout the stadium as fans stood for a minute in his memory. The gesture extended well beyond the away end.

Strathie never got to live his dream, but the Tartan Army made sure that he was recognized on the biggest stage. Even head coach Steve Clark paid tribute to the Scotland superfan, calling it a sad affair among the excitement surrounding Scotland’s World Cup campaign.

“Amongst all the good news that has come out of the World Cup for Scotland, this is very sad news,” Clark said in an interview. “It is incredibly sad for his family, his daughter, and his grandchildren. I know Donny’s great ambition was to see Scotland at a World Cup again. Thankfully, he managed to see us win a game before he passed.”

Strathie would have watched on proudly as John McGinn’s 28th-minute strike against Haiti secured Scotland’s first World Cup victory since their 2-1 win over Sweden in 1990. While he never got the chance to watch his country from the stands at the tournament, his presence was still felt by the team and supporters in the days that followed.

Sadly, the occasion did not end on a positive note for the Scots. Scotland fell 1-0 to Morocco on Saturday, leaving them with plenty of work to do in their final Group C match against Brazil.

A frustrating outing for Scotland vs. Morocco

Playing against the AFCON champions was always going to pose a different challenge than Haiti. Morocco had long been labeled a dark horse heading into the tournament and even held Brazil to a 1-1 draw in New York in their opening game.

Morocco controlled much of the game with 60% possession and kept Scotland from registering a shot on target in the first half. Scotland improved after the break and pushed for an equaliser, but Morocco’s defence held firm. Despite a stronger second-half performance, the Scots were unable to find a way through. There was also a lot of frustration in the Scotland camp, as they had two penalty appeals turned down by Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev. Steve Clarke was shocked, post-game.

“Difficult to sum up right now. I just want to go inside and speak to my players,” he said in an interview.

It was a game the Scots would have loved to win to keep their hopes of reaching the Round of 32 alive. Because up next, they face Brazil, who looked flawless against Haiti on Saturday. Manchester United’s Matheus Cunha scored twice, while Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior added a third just before half-time. The Selecao won 3-0 and moved to the top of the group.

Scotland now needs to beat Brazil in their final group game to qualify, or hope to be one of the tournament’s eight best third-placed teams, with a draw potentially being enough.