Classic Moments
France 0 Scotland 1, 2007
The game will always be remembered for James McFadden’s screaming 30-yarder, a goal which ranks among the sweetest of Scotland strikes.
No one could have anticipated what would happen when the little forward pulled down a long ball 64 minutes into the game on September 12 2007 and turned to face the French back four.
With players closing him down and without a second’s hesitation, Faddy looked up and delivered an unstoppable shot which dipped under the crossbar and left the Parc de Prince completely dumbfounded.
This is not how this Euro qualifier was meant to unfold, particularly after the Scots had stunned France with a 1-0 win in their first meeting the previous October.
The French would be ready for this game, stars like Karim Benzema, Franck Ribery, Patrick Vieira, Samir Nasri, Claude Makelele, Davide Trezeguet and Nicolas Anelka would bury the impertinent Scots.
It's good to look back now and see what it means to people. It's amazing that it's 10 years down the line and people are still talking about it.
Unforgettable McFadden
Clearly no one anticipated this moment of magic from McFadden – or was prepared for the heroics of Craig Gordon.
The then-Sunderland keeper was imperious, producing save after save to deny a succession of attempts from the French. One block to halt Ribery defied all the odds while his stretching save to parry a blistering shot from Anelka was almost beyond belief.
If anything, McFadden’s strike only stirred the hornets’ nest. The closing half hour that followed Scotland’s goal brought a relentless bombardment, but the visitors refused to buckle.
When the final whistle sounded, Paris might have been Hampden, such was the roar that came from the thousands of traveling fans bedecked in tartan and reveling in euphoria and disbelief.
"People still talk about it,” said McFadden in an interview with the BBC 10 years on from his Paris strike. “I speak to people and you can see in their face, it takes them back to that time.
"It's good to look back now and see what it means to people. It's amazing that it's 10 years down the line and people are still talking about it."
