HaitivsScotland

Result

John McGinn's deflected 28th-minute strike — Scotland's first World Cup goal since 1998 — settled a scrappy opener at Gillette Stadium and gave Steve Clarke's side a first World Cup win in 36 years. Haiti, back at the finals for the first time since 1974, grew into the game after the break and out-shot Scotland 15-9, but Frantzdy Pierrot and Wilson Isidor could not beat Angus Gunn. Two stoppage-time yellow cards underlined how nervy Scotland's closing minutes became.

Haiti 4-4-24-4-2 Scotland

Haiti

Scotland

John McGinn28'

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde39'

Findlay Curtis90'+1'

Kenny McLean90'+5'

54%Possession46%

15Shots9

2On target2

1Saves2

4Corners3

367Passes completed306

85%Pass accuracy82%

12Tackles12

22Touches in box21

Substitutions

Casimirfor Deedsonat 61'

Christiefor Gannon-Doakat 75'

Josephfor Isidorat 75'

Dykesfor Adamsat 75'

Fortunéfor Providenceat 85'

McLeanfor Shanklandat 82'

Curtisfor McGinnat 82'

Pattersonfor Hickey

At this Stage

One round into Group C, the table has Scotland — of all the available candidates — alone at the top. The 1-0 over Haiti, a first World Cup win in 36 years, is worth three points and first place, while Brazil and Morocco, who played out a 1-1 draw, sit level beneath on one apiece. Haiti, at their first finals since 1974 and the better side for stretches of the second half, hold nothing but the moral ledger — which is why they're bottom. One matchday is the smallest sample the sport offers, and nobody sensible reads much into it. But Scotland lead a group containing Brazil, and for a nation still hunting its first knockout stage at the thirteenth major-tournament attempt, that sentence is worth reading twice.

Group C

Team	P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
Scotland	1	1	0	0	+1	3
Brazil	1	0	1	0	+0	1
Morocco	1	0	1	0	+0	1
Haiti	1	0	0	1	-1	0

Top two (above the accent line) advance to the round of 32; the third-placed team is in the race for one of the eight best-third spots.

What we know now

What I said beforehand

The preview, frozen at kickoff. Clearly dated, never rewritten — that's the deal that makes the predictions worth anything.

Scotland, but they will have to earn it. Haiti's first World Cup in fifty-two years comes with a compact 4-4-2 and a front two — Isidor and Nazon — with enough quality to punish a sloppy hour, and the Scots have a long history of letting exactly this kind of side linger. The difference is the set-piece threat and, if he is fit, Scott McTominay's ability to win a tight game on his own. Scotland 2–1, with a Haitian goal that makes the last twenty minutes loud.

Both cases written 2026-06-12, before kickoff — they freeze into the record exactly as written, however the match goes. The percentages are mine, quoted to a decimal because false precision is funnier — the unclaimed 27.5% belongs to the draw.