Scottish Fans 'Invade' MLB Stadiums, Bringing Joy to Miami Marlins

The "Tartan Army," the dedicated supporters of the Scottish national football team, which has reached the World Cup finals for the first time in 28 years, have been visiting Major League Baseball (MLB) stadiums, drawing enthusiastic responses from American baseball fans and clubs alike.

The Tartan Army visited loanDepot park in Miami, Florida, today (June 23) to watch the 2026 MLB regular season game between the Miami Marlins and the Texas Rangers.

This marked their second visit to a baseball stadium, following their trip to Fenway Park in Boston on the 15th to watch the game between the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox.

Local media outlets have dubbed these visits a "friendly invasion," a nod to the fact that baseball is not a major sport in Scotland.

Their visits to the ballparks are closely tied to the schedule of the Scottish national team.

The Scottish supporters attended the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group C opening match between Scotland and Haiti, held at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on the 14th.

Scotland won that match 1–0, marking their first World Cup victory in 36 years. After celebrating the win in Boston, the Tartan Army members, finding themselves with plenty of time before the second match against Morocco scheduled for the 20th, visited Fenway Park on the 15th to enjoy the Texas-Boston game.

The Tartan Army turned the event into a festival, consuming a massive amount of beer in Boston.

According to local media, the volume of beer sold on the day of the game reached 3,000 pints (approximately 1,704 liters), more than four times the usual amount, leading to an early shortage. The Mayor of Boston even signed a letter of intent for a sister-city relationship with Glasgow, Scotland, while wearing a Scottish national team jersey.

As the Scottish national team, having played their first and second matches in Boston, moved to Miami for their final group stage match scheduled for the 25th, the Tartan Army followed the team on their away trip.

With time to spare before the final match, the Tartan Army visited loanDepot park today for their second "friendly invasion" of an MLB stadium.

Just as they did in Boston, the Tartan Army gathered in "Little Havana," Miami's Cuban district, and marched 1.6 kilometers to the stadium while playing bagpipes.

The Miami Police Department had even issued a notice to citizens, advising them not to be alarmed by the thousands of Scottish football fans in kilts who would be marching.

Approximately 20,000 spectators gathered at loanDepot park, with more than 8,000 of them being members of the Tartan Army.

The ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Billy Gilmour (Napoli), who was unable to join the Scottish national team due to an injury sustained before the World Cup.

Reuters reported on the atmosphere, stating, "The Scottish fans seemed to have little idea what was happening on the field, but they knew exactly who the home team was. For this day, they were Miami Marlins fans."

When Texas Rangers' Joc Pederson was out on an infield grounder in the top of the first inning, the Scottish fans all jumped to their feet and cheered as if the Scottish national team had scored a goal.

Some fans, caught up in the excitement, were seen wearing parking cones on their heads, forming conga lines, or playing football with empty beer cans.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.