Belgium 1-1 Scotland: Visitors relegated to Nations League B after draw
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Scotland will be relegated to League B of the Women's Nations League, despite dominating in a draw with Belgium.
Erin Cuthbert's sublime strike from distance cancelled out Marie Detruyer's tidy opener in Leuven, but it was not enough for a Scotland side requiring a win to prolong their stay in the top division.
Substitute Amy Gallacher came closest to netting a winner, passing up a glorious opportunity to score her first international goal by missing the target from close range.
Pedro Martinez Losa's side finish the campaign by welcoming European champions England to Hampden on Tuesday.
The sturdy start from Scotland showed no sign of a side who were winless in their past four. There was a speed and slickness to their play, exploiting the sizeable spaces the Belgians were willing to leave in the middle of the park.
Cuthbert tested Nicky Evrard with a tame effort before Detruyer dealt an all too familiar sucker punch to the Scots with a fine finish. What was not so familiar though was the response.
With the freedom of Leuven, Cuthbert carved a beauty out of nothing, a fitting reward for the team's application to going a goal down. The heads never dropped, the intensity did not diminish.
Piling on the pressure, the towering Jenna Clark seemed destined to nod the visitors ahead. Somehow, though, her effort nestled in the roof of the net.
A wise head entered the fray as Scotland searched for the precious next goal. Hayley Lauder made her first Scotland appearance since March 2020, her 104th cap, nearly 14 years since she made her first.
Fellow substitute Gallacher nearly made it a match to remember for all but the Celtic forward squirmed a delicious chance in front of goal from a sizzling cross.
The match ended in a sour note for Cuthbert and Scotland as she left the field following a facial knock.
Player of the match - Erin Cuthbert
The attacker (left) dragged Scotland back into the contest and was tidy in possession before going off injured late on
Finishing touch still to be found for Scotland - analysis
Once again, Scotland fans are left feeling frustrated after another tale of what could have been.
As they have been in almost every outing in this quality-laden group, this team fought. They scratched and they clawed, but it wasn't enough.
Their display in Leuven was perhaps the most confident and mature so far in this competition, as if the bruisings they've faced in recent months had almost battered them into a belief that they belong.
The manager didn't rest on his laurels, making attacking change after attacking change in search of a winner. The quality to find the breakthrough was once again lacking. Alas, the killer instinct has not yet been instilled in his squad of technical talents.
Now that relegation is confirmed, there's hope that they can learn their lessons and re-build faith by putting a run of results together en route to Euro 2025 and in future Nations League outings in Group B.
If they do so, while adding finishing touches to this youthful team, the international heavyweights may just be in for a shock when Scotland next show up to the top table.
What they said
Scotland head coach Pedro Martinez Losa: "It's a moment of learning. It's a moment to be ready for the next challenge that's coming up.
"I think it was a very competitive game as we have seen in all the Nations League games. I think we did more than enough to win this game. That's football. Belgium is a very good team. We showed a little more [than them].
"We have to keep going. We have an important game on Tuesday. We have to recharge the batteries."
What's next?
Scotland host England at Hampden on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) in their final group game, while Belgium travel to take on Netherlands at the same time.