Scotland returned to the World Cup stage after 28 years and celebrated its first victory in the tournament in 36 years. On June 14, Scotland defeated Haiti 1-0 in their opening match of Group C at the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup, held at Boston Stadium in Massachusetts.
Earlier in the same group, Brazil and Morocco played to a 1-1 draw, allowing Scotland to take the lead in Group C with three points.
Scotland's last World Cup appearance was in 1998, and their last win came during the group stage of the 1990 Italy World Cup, where they triumphed over Sweden 2-1. In contrast, Haiti, returning to the World Cup for the first time since the 1974 West Germany tournament, faced defeat in their opening match.
Scotland had an early opportunity in the 17th minute when Scott McTominay's shot hit the post. The breakthrough came in the 28th minute when Che Adams' shot was blocked by Haiti goalkeeper Johnny Placide, but the ball fell to John McGinn, who scored with a left-footed shot from the center of the penalty area. The ball deflected off Haiti defender Jean-Charles Belgaud's foot and into the net.
This goal was significant for McGinn, marking his first goal in 13 international matches since November 2024. At 31 years and 238 days old, he became Scotland's oldest goalscorer in World Cup history, surpassing the previous record held by Kenny Dalglish, who scored at 31 years and 103 days during the 1982 Spain World Cup.
Haiti did not back down, recording 54% possession and outshooting Scotland 15 to 9. In the closing moments of the match, Wilson Isidor connected with a cross from Rubén Providence, and in the 85th minute, Franzdy Pierrot headed a cross from Karlen Arcus, but both attempts missed the target.
Scotland focused on defense in the final minutes, maintaining their one-goal lead and successfully fending off Haiti's attacks, securing the victory until the final whistle.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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