Were it not for the COVID-19 pandemic that's torn the world of sport apart, Scotland would be facing Israel this week as they look to end a 22 year absence from a major tournament.
Back in 1999 it had been barely 18 months since we'd faced the likes or Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Cafu at the 1998 World Cup but the situation was similar.
Following a 2-0 defeat to a Paul Scholes-inspired England at Hampden, Craig Brown's side knew they had to go to Wembley and try to achieve the impossible.
They almost did it too, but despite a win over the Auld Enemy we didn't make it to Euro 2000 - little did we know we'd still be waiting over 20 years later.
Here's how Record Sport reported on the match at the time.
They came in search of a miracle, but Craig Brown and Scotland only found heartbreak at the foot of the Twin Towers.
Scottish football history is littered with tales of glorious failure and their 1-0 triumph in the pretty in the very home of English football last night will be added to the volumes that make for sad reading.
It seems we never tire of playing the role of heroic losers but one day we may discover the secret and then we will leave others to lament and weep into their flags.
When England won 2-0 on Saturday at Hampden it seemed this Euro 2000 play-off was over and although Don Hutchison's first half goal gave the 10,000 Scots in the 75,848 Wembley crowd great encouragement, Brown's side just couldn't get back on level terms with England, who lived dangerously throughout the match.
In fact, it was almost possible to sense their fear after Hutchison's header had beaten David Seaman, but Kevin Keegan's lot held on and scraped into the European Championship finals.
They were lucky and they knew it but Paul Scholes' double on Sunday proved to be insurance enough.
Questions will still be asked of Brown but there wasn't much more he could have done at Wembley where his team tried to get forward as often as possible. In fact, his players did him proud and were applauded from the turf by fans who excelled themselves.
On their way into the ground they passed signs that warned against taking "bottles, glass containers, flasks and bagpipes" into the stadium, but these people didn't need instruments to be heard. They played it from the heart and won their own decibel battle against England.
The players went to them at the end and there was an exchange of mutual respect, but in the cold light of day the truth will dawn.
Scotland won this century's last game against England at Wembley, but ultimately they lost because of hesitation on and off the Hampden pitch on Saturday.
Kick-off was delayed by 10 minutes to allow the supporters more time to get in because of massive traffic jams, but when the game did start it was clear Scotland were prepared to have a go and attempt to at least make England understand they would not be able to stroll on to the finals.
Brown's side were courageous enough and regained some of the pride they lost at Hampden but as Craig Burley - who played on despite a burst mouth that dripped blood for most of the second half - said, anything other than a place in the finals would have to be viewed as failure.
Keegan had spoken out on behalf of Brown before kick-off and wondered why there are calls for his resignation, but if the England manager had looked back down the tunnel more than half an hour after the final whistle he might have understood.
Scotland's fans were still in their section and still singing.
One of these days someone will give them the victories in these crucial matches that they deserve. It remains now to be seen if that man will be Brown, who this time showed himself bold enough to make the changes that were needed at half-time on Saturday.
He put Hutchison up-front and it was the Everton captain who rattled England's nerves. His goal, in fact, was sweet because he had been pelted with missiles at the end of his warm-up.
By the end of the game, however, we found ourselves with plenty of food for thought again and the weeks ahead will be interesting as the manager's future is debated, but he knows he is in a strong position because of Scotland's first Wembley win since 1981.
England were first to threaten and in nine minutes Alan Shearer clipped a low cross in from the right. Colin Hendry found himself having to stretch and succeeded only in prodding the ball out to Scholes, whose fierce shot rippled the side netting.
A minute later, Burley's surging run caused England's defensive line to stretch and he played a good ball into the path of Neil McCann on the 18-yard line but the Rangers player stood on the ball and a good chance was lost.
Scotland seemed to take heart from this break, which exposed England's defensive frailty, and Callum Davidson then made a good break wide on the left before looping a cross into the middle where Barry Ferguson rose above everyone else to meet the ball with his head. Unfortunately, his header sailed over David Seaman's bar.
Then, in 28 minutes, John Collins played the ball in for Billy Dodds. He was ruled offside as he tried to back-heel the ball past Seaman.
Even though he missed the Scotland fans behind the England goal were on their feet and refused to sit back down when the stadium announcer, rather foolishly, asked them to.
They continued to sing and dance and have a good time, but they fell silent momentarily when Phil Neville's cross arrived in the middle, inviting Shearer to leap with Neil Sullivan.
The ball broke clear to Michael Owen who nodded into the net but the referee had blown because Shearer had used an elbow on the Scottish keeper.
Scholes bounced after a Barry Ferguson back header had hit David Weir, but the Everton defender made a good recovery tackle to deny the Englishman.
Then came the goal that gave a nation hope. Christian Dailly broke on the left before moving the ball on to Neil McCann, who hit the byline before clipping the ball across to the far post. Tony Adams jumped with Hutchison but the Scot got the touch and his header looped away to Seaman's right and into the net.
It was one of those moments where time seems to stand still as in a dream, but we knew it was for real when the Scottish fans created such a din that the dust on the old stadium's rafters was disturbed.
England's players were clearly rattled, none more so than Paul Ince who lunged into McCann and was fortunate only to be booked.
Keegan's men were out and in their places before Hendry led his side back for the start of the second period but inside the stadium the atmosphere had changed significantly.
The English fans were not as noisy, while Scotland's colourful mob were in full voice and ready for the dramatic second half that would settle this play-off.
Brown's boys found themselves in danger when Beckham darted down the right and played a ball into the middle after 52 minutes.
Hendry stretched out a leg to make contact and rolled the ball straight to Shearer, who was clear and homing in on Sullivan but he smacked it high and wide.
Minutes later, Burley had to go off with blood streaming from his lip but he returned quickly.
Dodds tried a shot from 20 yards but Seaman gathered the ball easily. Then Owen made a break at the opposite end, running away from David Weir, but a poor touch wasted the chance.
On the hour mark, Owen was back in front of Sullivan and it took a marvellous Collins tackle to deny him a shot. The striker was replaced by Emile Heskey shortly after that.
Jamie Redknapp could have scored in the 70th minute when he got on the end of Heskey's deep cross from the right. However, his volley was wayward and Scotland breathed again - but only for a couple of seconds because Dailly passed the ball straight to Beckham.
He raced to within shooting distance only to smack the ball high and out of harm's way, but Dailly was still chastised by his team-mates. Scotland made a change on 70 minutes when McCann went off, substitute Mark Burchill taking over in time to see the referee award the Scots a soft free-kick 22 yards out after Dodds had fallen with Redknapp at his back.
Hutchison took the free-kick and powered a shot through a thicket of legs and although Seaman was unable to hold onto the ball, he managed to get it at the second attempt.
Scotland returned the favour four minutes later when Burley tripped Redknapp a yard outside Sullivan's box and Beckham's free-kick missed the target by inches.
But the Scots had two good chances a couple of minutes later.
First Adams had to snake in a long leg to deny Dodds by conceding a corner. Then Collin's delivery was headed on by Hutchison and Dailly hurled himself to make contact, forcing Seaman to slap the ball into the air before a defender cleared.
The Scots kept looking for the second goal but it didn't happen for them and they had to make do with a brave near-miss. Again.
