Getting off to a winning start will be the key to Scotland making it out of the group stage of a major tournament for the first time ever, according to former international Paul Lambert.
Scotland will kick off their campaign on the night of June 13 against bottom seeds Haiti, who will appear at only their second-ever World Cup having last featured in 1974.
2022 semi-finalists Morocco are up next for the Scots in Group C on the evening of June 19, with Brazil rounding out the group on June 24.
Paul Lambert: 'The first game is pivotal for Scotland - we have to win that'
It has not gone uncommented that Scotland's group bears more than passing resemblance to the one they tackled when they last appeared at a World Cup in 1998.
Paul Lambert was part of that Scotland side and played every minute as they fell to a narrow defeat to Brazil and drew with Norway, only to have their hopes dashed by a 3-0 defeat to Morocco in their final game.
Speaking to Betway, Lambert said: "The first game is pivotal. We have to win that and get off to a good start.
"That gives you a lot of foothold in the group. Brazil and Morocco play each other in their first game, so something's got to give.
"But Morocco, as everybody saw in the last World Cup, are a good side.
"Even when we played them 98, they deserved to beat us. We just never turned up."
"But is the Brazilian team what it was in 1998? No, it's nowhere near that level.
"If we can get a result in our first game, that gives us a foothold going into the Morocco game - but it depends on the groups because it's a different format now from when I played in the World Cup.
"Three points might be enough, but you just really don't know. But we're definitely going to have to win the first game."
We just wish we knew Lambert's thoughts on whether or not he thinks Scotland need to win their first game.
