UEFA Under-17 EURO 2026 Qualifier
Scotland 4-1 Lithuania
Monday, 3 November 2025 
Albert Bartlett Stadium, Airdrie

Scorers

Scotland: 4 Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri (6’, 27’ [p], 39’), Aaron Thomson (82’)

Lithuania: 1 Vejas Pocius (59’)

Team News 

Head Coach Brian McLaughlin made six changes to his starting eleven from Friday’s game: Stanley Wilson, Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri, Joseph Haney, Charley Oosenburgh, Aiden Crilly and Kayden Daly replaced Oliver Goodbrand, Nairn Reynolds, Max Cameron, Jamie Forrest, Cai McGunnigle and Arran McSporran.

Scotland would need a win against Lithuania to make it through to the next round of qualifiers for the Euros in a highly anticipated match, but this was a scenario Brian McLaughlin confidently spoke about on Friday, saying:  “All you can ever want is going into the final game with the outcome being within your own hands.”

And Scotland made sure to finish the final game of the group with style.

As It Happened

The first five minutes saw several chances come from a hungry Scotland side, and it would be Caelon-Kole Cadamarteri who put Scotland ahead in the sixth minute latching onto a perfectly weighted pass from Luke Douglas and firing home emphatically.

Cadamarteri would then have a chance to make it two in as many minutes, but unfortunately, his effort would go wide of the goal on this occasion.

Scotland’s next chance to add to the score would come in the 27th minute, when a Kayden Daly cross was handled by an outstretched arm, leading to a penalty.

Cadamarteri stepped up to face Henrikas Adomavicius, and sent the keeper the wrong way, to get his and Scotland's second goal.

Lithuania wouldn’t be without their chances, but the Scottish defence would see to it that any danger would be quashed and collected calmly by Warren Lyall.

With only five minutes remaining in the first half, Cadamarteri would get his hat-trick; his third goal coming from a through pass from Joseph Haney, taking a slight touch from a Lithuanian player before falling perfectly to Scotland’s number 9, giving him his opportunity to give Scotland a 3-0 lead going into the break.

Scotland kicked off the second half with a commanding three-goal lead, that almost became four up when another Cadamertari chance was parried away by Adomavicius.

Lithuania’s Carmine Menneas had their first real chance of note in the 51st minute, but his effort would go wide, clipping the side netting.

Minutes later, Scotland got a free kick when Augustas Valuckas fouled Douglas. Daly stepped up and he curled in an effort which just missed its mark by inches.

A much more physical Lithuania saw a greater share of possession in the second half, and they got off the mark with a goal in the 58th minute, Vejas Pocius coming onto a well-worked cutback, and slotting past Scotland keeper Lyall.

The latter stages of the game would see Scotland push for their fourth goal, with Cadamarteri chasing passes back from the Lithuanian defence and piling on the pressure up front, while Ethan Crombie continued to command the midfield alongside Stanley Wilson.

With nine minutes left to play, Aaron Thomson won a corner which Crombie swung into the box, giving Thomson the chance to get a foot to the ball and register Scotland’s fourth goal to seal the win and see Scotland finish second in a challenging qualifying group.

Match Report by John Shiels

Post-match Thoughts

Scotland Head Coach Brian McLaughlin: "The biggest thing that I like is how we've ended the week. Since the boys have come in, they've trained great. They've had spells in games where they've played really well and spells where we've dropped slightly. 

"But today we made a good week into a great week with the performance, particularly with the ball. We showed good composure, went long when we could and we created chances and finished them.

"I don't think you could've got a tougher group. We knew Lithuania's strengths and they obviously beat England as well. 

"The boys were disappointed with the performance against Sweden, and they shouldn't have been because we played well and could've been 2-0 in front.

"But today, from the first minute - with and without the ball - you could see the style that we've been working on for years and we could've scored even two or three more in that first half.

"That's testament to the hard work of the players and the staff. In terms of youth football, the hardest test you can get is international football. You can't get enough of it. 

"These boys have recently played Portugal, Serbia and Italy and now we've played England, Sweden and Lithuania. 

"The level of games is incredible and now we'll be in with the Pot 1 sides in March and the games will get even harder. But we've got a few months now to get even better and that's what we'll do."

Scotland's Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri: "Coming into today's game I hadn't scored and I know that's my job so I was thinking 'I need to score'. It makes it even better to score in the game that helps us qualify too.

"The third goal was my favourite though as it tops off the hat-trick.

"After seeing Lithuania beat England I was thinking it would've been very tough but it was more comfortable than I thought it would be.

"All the boys have contributed this week. We've had all 20 players contribute which has been good.

"It'll be tough in the Elite Round but confidence is through the roof and we'll be relishing taking on whoever we're drawn against."

Scotland Team

Scotland:  Warren Lyall, Aaron Thomson (C), Ben Stoddart, Stanley Wilson, Caelen-Kole Cadamarteri, Luke Douglas, Joseph Haney, Ethan Crombie, Charley Oosenburgh, Aiden Crilly, Kayden Daly.

Substitutes:  Joseph Hastings, Oliver Goodbrand (83’), Nairn Reynolds (65’), Max Cameron (83’), Jamie Forrest, Emmanuel Obidiwe (74’), Liam Walker (65’).


Unused substitutes: Joseph Hastings, Jamie Forrest