That’s it from me, there will be more reaction to Scotland’s win over Haiti launching on the site in the coming hours.
Scotland striker Lawrence Shankland has been speaking to the BBC post-match:
That’s why you put the graft in all your life.
There was pressure on us to win. In competition football it’s about winning and we got the job done. We’ve got the three points – we can be happy.
The games keep coming. Jonathan Howcroft is on deck for Australia v Turkey:
Up next for Scotland are Morocco on Friday. The North Africans looked a top side in their 1-1 draw with Brazil earlier. These points on the board are vital for Scotland, a point from the next two games will probably be enough to go through.
Report: Scotland victorious after McGinn strike enough to earn win over Haiti
This all proved rather difficult to evaluate as the dust settled. Scotland’s fifth win at a World Cup finals should have been a cause for epic celebration. Victory over Haiti meant this is a team not guaranteed to receive a bloody nose against lesser nations after all. More than 10,000 days after limping out of the World Cup in France, Scotland returned to the biggest stage in football and claimed three points. They top Group C.
Read Ewan Murray’s full report here:
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A very happy and slightly emotional John McGinn has been interviewed on the pitch:
Wasn’t my best of goals, but who cares? It’s been a long time coming. Look at this, man, yeah [pointing to the stands]? Absolutely unbelievable. I’ve lost it a wee bit. Hats off to this [Haiti} team, by the way. They, they played New Zealand off the pitch, for us as well. And tonight we had to work hard for it. Could we play a bit better? Aye, but it’s a must-win game and we won, so absolutely over the moon.
We’ve been through a lot of heartaches as a country. A generation of supporters haven’t seen this. The, the pride on my family’s faces, moving, seeing all the kids going to, uh, going to the parks in their Scotland kit having my face, hopefully when, uh, they get up tomorrow, they’ll be absolutely beaming with pride, because I am. Uh, what a win, and it sets us up for Friday.
Steve Clarke has given this thoughts post-match:
It’s the first time we’ve won a game in the group stage. It’s probably [a night to celebrate] for the supporters through all of Scotland, everyone said “must-win game” — we won the game.
Asked if his side needed resilience to hold off Haiti, Clarke said:
This is what this team’s all about. Teams like them play, they can play, but if they have to dig in and show that character, that resilience, that’s what they do as well. Defensively outstanding. Could have been probably a little bit better with the ball, but who cares? We won.
There it is, the Group C table:
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scotland | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | Brazil | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Morocco | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Haiti | 1 | -1 | 0 |
In the stands ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’ is being belted out. Great stuff.
I hope the bars of Foxborough are ready for what’s about to come. It’s 11pm on the east coast but no one in tartan is sleeping for a while.
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Full-time: Haiti 0-1 Scotland
SCOTLAND ARE TOP OF GROUP C! A first World Cup win since 1990, courtesy of John McGinn.
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90+6 mins That sums up Haiti’s problem. Experience works a short free-kick with Bellegarde but panics and fires off a wild shot that goes well over.
90+5 mins Casimir needing lengthy treatment.
90+4 mins McClean booked for another high foot. That one time it’s full justified, reckless and gives Haiti another free-kick in a good area out on the left-hand side.
90+3 mins …woeful ball.
90+3 mins Dykes gives away a free-kick in a dangerous area…
90+1 mins Findlay goes in the book for a high foot. Harsh, not sure he caught the man there.
90 mins We get six extra minutes for Scotland to see out.
86 min Another Haiti change, Yassin Fortuné on for Providence.
85 mins Huge chance for Pierrot to make it 1-1! Great cross from the right and the Haitian wins the header but puts it off target. That might have been ‘The Chance’.
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82 mins Findlay Curtis replaces McGinn and Shankland goes off for Kenny McLean.
81 mins Another swift Haiti break after McGinn is bundled off the ball results in a corner. Scotland aren’t quite holding on but they’re definitely not in control.
78 mins Providence is causing problems and he nicks the ball from McTominay and bursts into the box only for his shot to be blocked behind by Patterson.
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77 mins Joseph immediately makes an impact with a nice run and tidy lay-off that results in a Haiti shots that’s deflected behind for a corner. Haiti are well in this.
75 mins Three changes for Scotland: Gannon-Doak, Hickey and Adams go off; Patterson, Christie and Dykes comes on. Lenny Joseph replaces Isidor for Haiti.
74 mins Haiti nearly punish that profligacy immediately, Providence with low curler that Pierrot can’t get a toe on.
73 mins Big chance for McGinn to double the lead. McTominay nodded the ball through and like with his first goal he scuffs this shot, unlike the first it goes wide. He should have scored.
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69 mins We’re back in action and McGinn has won a free kick out on the Scotland left. Good chance to swing it in here.
Drinks email. “Not sure if Scotland is used to what Haiti is doing here. It’s pure CONCACAF Ball. You’ll see this super physical/no-flow play from the minnows in CONCACAF play all the time and its the kind of play that works if they can frustrate you and then get a lucky fluke or a sudden counter. They practically dare the ref to insert themselves knowing they likely won’t insert themselves overmuch, so they have a window of opportunity to be physical.” – A scarred Kirk VanGilder
66 mins It’s time for drinks.
65 mins Yes! Scotland take too long over a throw-in and the referee punishes them by giving it to Haiti. Keep it moving, I can’t wait to not see this in the Premier League.
64 mins There’s an edgy feel to this for Scotland. They’ve not pulled away from Haiti here and are very susceptible to a countrer-punch.
61 mins Change for Haiti, Deedson goes off and on comes Josué Casimir, who plays for Auxerre in Ligue 1.
57 mins Adams is wiped by Experience. Blindside job, but no booking. A very lenient call.
55 mins Great ball in from Robertson almost picks out Shankland, the forward was stretching but couldn’t get a stud on it. Wicked ball from the Tottenham man, it feels weird typing that.
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53 mins Providence puts in another inviting delivery from the left, but again it finds no one. How long until we see Duckens Nazon?
52 mins Lots of bitty free-kicks so far this half. No flow.
49 mins Gannon-Doak goes past Experience and wins a free-kick, it’s wasted by Scotland though.
46 min Hickey goes in the book for tugging back Providence after the Haiti winger wriggled away on the left.
Peeeeeeep!
Haiti kick-off the third quarter second half.
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I thought this Scotland kit would be universally loved. Not so. “But not a fan of the Scot’s salmon kit. Mishmash of stripes of various widths and hues. Keep it simple. Brazil v Morocco was great in their classic kits.” – Tim Smith
“Given the salmon colour, wouldn’t chevrons be more appropriate than stripes?” – Michael Fugate
“Nice as it is to see a run out for the salmon shirt, it really is nonsense that FIFA insist that the team drawn away wear their second strip even if there isn’t a clash in their home colours. I can’t imagine it helps for distinguishing between the teams, for instance if you were watching in black and white Scotland would appear in light grey now, against Haiti’s white, rather than very dark grey if wearing their navy shirt. I’m pretty sure the regional federations don’t do this (England and the Netherlands both wore home colours in their Euro 2024 semi-final, for example). Is it another FIFA nod to commercialism so that kit manufacturers can get the different strips seen and sold?” – David Wall
Half-time mail. “Even though I’m not a huge NBA fan, I have to admit I’ll be two-screening tonight. Probably watching football and listening to basketball. It just works better that way. The real question is whether Scotland fans are staying up, or just getting up. Inquiring minds, and all that.” – Joe Pearson
“Scotland struggling with Haiti’s physicality? Surely not? The game’s gone.” – Trygve Lie
“So Haiti have a goalkeeper called Placide, and Experience at the back. Scotland might be undone by nominative determinism here, I fear.” – Justin Kavanagh
“Been an entertaining first 45. Next goal will be key, and both teams look capable. If Scotland get it, we should be fine. Should. If Haiti equalise though...” – Simon McMahon
Half-time: Haiti 0-1 Scotland
Scotland lead through McGinn’s goal but Haiti have had their moments.
45+3 mins Haiti struggling to find the final pass. They do well to build up to the edge of the Scotland box but an enticing ball across the top the area finds no one.
45 mins Four minutes added.
44 mins You can hear the referee counting down the time on throw-ins. This a rule change I can get onboard with.
41 mins This is an entertaining watch. Scotland looking to control things but Haiti carry a threat on the break.
39 mins Bellegarde goes into the book for a late lunge, it was a loose touch from that required the Haiti man to dive in.
37 min Another good Haiti attack and this time it’s Hickey who gets the crucial touch to stop Providence from getting a sot away after McGinn lost it to Bellegarde in midfield.
34 mins Haiti should be level! Providence cuts in from the left and shoots, Gunn spills it into a dangerous area, requiring heroic stuff from Hendry to stop Isidor pouncing in the six yard box. Haiti still threatening here.
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Praise for Adams. “It’s wonderful to see ‘Chelé’ living up to his nickname with a touch worthy of the great Brazilian as he brought down that long ball!” – Daniel Halladay
32 mins Shankland goes close! Gannon-Doak is giving his man the run around and puts in pinpoint cross that Shankland gets on to but flicks wide.
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Goal! Haiti 0-1 Scotland (McGinn 28)
Lift-off! Ché Adams runs in behind to stretch the Haiti defence and then nearly gets on the end of the low-centre from the right but who is there to take advantage, only John McGinn! It’s not the cleanest strike but who cares, Scotland top Group C as it stands.
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27 mins Loud boos as Isidor hits the deck looking for a free-kick. Looking for it a bit too much, methinks.
The pic desk has put together a lovely gallery during the buildup to this game:
22 mins It’s time for drinks.
Fitba mail. “James Humphries with the most Scottish email ever. I mean, it’s not like we have previous in opening World Cup fixtures again so called ‘minnows’, is it? Expect the worst, hope for the best, right? Come on Scotland!” – Fitba regular, Simon McMahon
It’s a veritable sea of salmon here.
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17 min: McTominay hits the post!
Gannon-Doak cuts in from the right again and lays it back to McTominay on the edge of the box. His curling shot strikes the foot of the post with Placide was beaten.
16 min Chance for Wilson Isidor as he attacks a wicked cross from the Haiti left but Hendry does well to get his body across and wins a free-kick off the Sunderland frontman.
14 mins Drab end to that Haiti attack as Bellegarde’s plan for the free-kick was seemingly misunderstood by his teammates and dribbles out of play harmlessly.
13 min The last few minutes have been one-way traffic for Haiti. Scotland can’t get out and Ché Adams gives away a free-kick 35 yards out, quite straight. Bellegarde over it.
11 min Haiti are pressing with real purpose when they get the chance. Having turned over the ball to win a throw-in, Wolves man Jean-Ricner Bellegarde fires over the bar from just outside the box. Not a clean strike.
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10 min With the retro numbers and the Adidas trefoil that really is a lovely Scotland kit.
7 min First look at goal for McTominay as he gets up highest to meet Andy Robertson’s cross. The Napoli man is maybe too towering, the header goes well over the bar. A word for the lovely backheel from John McGinn in the buildup, too.
6 min Louicius Deedson nicks the ball in midfield and carries upfield before scuffing a shot well wide. This will be the Haiti threat, you feel.
5 mins The noise when Scotland get the ball in promising positions is incredible. Not much doubt who this crowd is cheering for.
3 min Scotland enjoying some early possession and Ben Gannon-Doak cuts in from the right and has his side’s first effort, an easy one for Johny Placide in the Haitian goal.
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Peeeeeep!
Scotland get us underway in Foxborough and Jack Hendry kicks for touch giving Scotland early territory. Nice bit of rugby.
No two ways about it, Flower of Scotland slaps.
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Scotland in their change pink kit, which appears to be very popular in the stands too. More pink shirts than the Scots’ traditional dark navy.
The hype videos are hyping in Foxborough, I’m not surprised that Boston Stadium looks packed. There’s a large Haitian diaspora on the east coast of the US and Scotland fans have travelled in big numbers. Anthems next.
‘We can do much’: how feeling for family helped end Haiti’s long World Cup absence
Tamy Michel grew up watching her father run a football club through prison, political upheaval and the endless uncertainties of life in Haiti.
Solange Michel spent 18 years leading Baltimore SC, one of the country’s most storied clubs. In the 1990s, he was jailed amid the turmoil that engulfed Haitian politics but the club survived. Later, Tamy Michel’s aunt, Simone Desvarieux, took over. The family have been stewards of Haitian football since 1974.
Today, Michel represents players at the highest levels of the global game, from Ricardo Adé, the defensive leader of the Ecuadorian powerhouse LDU Quito, to Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Wilson Isidor, coming off Premier League seasons, and Haiti’s record goalscorer, Duckens Nazon.
Read Bryan Armen Graham’s profile of this Haiti team here:
More mail. “I mean, we could be top of the group, but as I immediately thought after the end of Brazil-Morocco, what if we’re bottom?” – James Humphries
While Fifa has taken a hands-off approach to trivial matters such as visas for tournament referees and the Iran delegation, it did see fit to get involved in the really big issue: Haiti’s kit.
Haitian Football Federation has been made to find new jerseys on the eve of the 2026 World Cup, after Fifa deemed certain elements to be too political in nature.
The point of contention resided on the shirt’s right hip, which depicted silhouettes inspired by the Battle of Vertières and the Haitian revolution. In 1803, revolutionary leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who later became the nation’s first emperor, tore the white band off of a French flag to create a new flag for “the world’s first free Black republic”. The moment is commemorated throughout the nation every 18 May as Haitian Flag Day.
The iconography appears on all three of Haiti’s shirts released by Saeta released ahead of the tournament, but has now been removed from the kits the players will wear during the tournament.
More on this story from Jeff Rueter:
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Ewan says there are still large numbers of fans outside Boston Stadium. Here’s his view from inside the venue:
Tartan Army toast Scotland’s World Cup return: ‘It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’
Sam Adams is the beer of Boston, named after a founding father of the United States who was the fourth governor of Massachusetts. Downtown, there’s a tap room where you can drink it all day. On Thursday lunchtime the bar was packed, full of Scotland fans, and hanging over the first-floor balcony was a big yellow flag. It bore the legend “Remember Bannockburn 1314”.
Of all the bases the Tartan Army could have found for their World Cup journey, it had to be the city renowned for chasing the English out of town. Supporters dressed like William Wallace have been bonding with tour guides dressed as Paul Revere.
Others have been walking around wearing “Boston T Party” T-shirts, where the T stands for Tennent’s. Meanwhile, next to the site of the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Scottish Football Association has rebranded a local pub as Scotland House, and even had it sponsored by M&S Food.
Paul MacInnes has been spending some time with the Scotland fans in Boston:
Pre-match postbag. “I confess I was a wee bit worried after the first 10 minutes of the Brazil v Morocco game, because they were running about jolly quickly and firing balls into the net with great panache. The longer it’s gone on though the more confident I feel. I suspect we’ll confuse them by playing what they might think is a different sport” – Scott Blair
“I’m English and living down under in Melbourne. We are actually getting a whole bunch of games at reasonable times as we normally have to watch intentional games at 2am. I’m enjoying tea and toast over breakfast games and looking forward to hearing the Scots belt out Flower of Scotland, always a spine tingling experience, even for and Englishman.” – Simon Dobson
“All I can say is ‘SHOOooooot’ and we’ll be bonnie.” – Richard in the New Zealand sunshine.
Keep your emails coming via the link at the top of the page.
That 1-1 draw between Morocco and Brazil means Scotland can top of the group with a win against Haiti. If there wasn’t already enough tension.
Get the live reaction to the Group C opener in New Jersey with Jeff Rueter:
Haiti’s all-time record scorer Duckens Nazon maybe be familiar to fans of Wolves, Coventry City, Oldham Athletic and St Mirren, in addition to nine other clubs across two different continents, but probably not many others. Here’s a quick crib sheet from our in-depth player guide:
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Ewan has fired over his thoughts on the Scotland team from his position at the Boston Stadium (in Foxborough):
One change to the Scotland team that beat Bolivia last week as John McGinn replaces Ryan Christie in midfield. Steve Clarke goes old school 4-4-2. Gunn; Hickey, Hanley, Hendry, Robertson; Gannon-Doak, McTominay, Ferguson, McGinn; Shankland, Adams.
Predictions were that Haitian fans would outnumber Scots inside the stadium but Scotland strips (the pink away one, mainly) dominate the scene so far.
Teams!
Haiti XI: Placide, Arcus, Ade, Delcroix, Experience, Deedson, Jean Jacques, Bellegarde, Providence, Pierrot, Isidor.
Subs: Alexandre Pierre, Duverger, Thermoncy, Sainte, Etienne, Nazon, Lacroix, Metusala, Joseph, Fortune, Casimir, Duverne, Paugain, Simon, Woodensky Pierre.
Scotland XI: Gunn, Hickey, Hendry, Hanley, Robertson, Doak, McTominay, Ferguson, McGinn, Shankland, Adams.
Subs: Kelly, Gordon, Tierney, Fletcher, Dykes, Christie, Stewart, Souttar, Hyam, Hirst, Patterson, McLean, Ralston, Curtis, McKenna.
Scotland bid to exorcise World Cup ghosts by breaking group stage barrier
It is not only ghosts from Costa Rica, Peru, Iran or Zaire that haunt Scotland as they prepare for a long-awaited World Cup return. Instead, there is a broader pattern of failure that Steve Clarke and his class of 2026 need to extricate the nation from. From 23 games on football’s biggest stage, the Scots have won only four times. The expansion of the World Cup should assist them, a team who now and correctly regard merely qualifying for major tournaments as insufficient.
Scotland were unbeaten in 1974 yet took an early path home from West Germany. More than 50 years later, a comfortable win over Haiti should be enough to seal progression to the last 32. It is impossible to shake the notion that Scotland’s World Cup fate is dependent on game one in Boston against a side who lack nothing in national cause. Haiti’s pace and physicality will cause some tartan tremors. Nonetheless, taking on the 83rd-ranked team in the world with history-making on the line is an appetising deal.
Read Ewan Murray’s preview in full here:
How’s your knowledge of Haiti?
If you need a little bit of a brush up then I strongly recommend Pierre Richard Midy’s team guide:
I know it’s very late in Scotland, but if you are following along in the wee hours, do get in touch via the link at the top of the page.
Don’t get humped!
That was the tongue-in-cheek response from Steve Clarke when asked about Scotland’s lessons from their past tournament openers. The 5-1 defeat against Germany two years ago still stings, clearly.
“Obviously we know the last two tournaments haven’t gone the way that we wanted them to go,” added Clarke.
“We have another chance, and that’s credit to the players that they keep qualifying for these major tournaments. It’s great to be here, but we also want to do something special.”
The other key theme from Clarke’s pre-match press conference was the importance of Scott McTominay. Clarke joked about picking the Napoli man to play centre-half for Scotland previously and compared McTominay’s now talismanic status to that which Gareth Bale shouldered for Wales. However, the former West Brom manager was keen to stress that Scotland are not a one-man team.
“I think I’ve got 26 superstars here,” said Clarke. “I think to try and put so much onto one person isn’t fair. We have built everything over the last seven years as a squad. That’s everybody being together and everybody playing their part at certain times.
“Some daft coach played Scott as a centre-half five years ago. But obviously he’s not a centre-half. And since moving further forward he’s done great for us.
“No, we’re delighted with Scott’s abilities and what he can bring to the team. But we’re going to need another 15 to bring the same if we want to have a positive tournaments.”
Preamble
Back when Kenny McClean put the cherry on the cake of Scotland’s dramatic playoff win against Denmark in November, the concept of this game was a cause for wild celebration, but now, facing World Cup minnows Haiti, this game represents opportunity. A win, especially one by a convincing scoreline, will go a long way to ensuring Scotland get the group stage-shaped monkey off their back.
There will be nerves among the Tartan Army in Foxborough and those watching from afar, but the preparations for Steve Clarke’s side have gone very well. Eight goals scored against in warmup games against Bolivia and Curaçao, one conceded, crucially Scott McTominay has gotten over a tummy ache to ensure his manager has a full complement to choose from. McTominay’s new advert with Adidas is also a triumph and these are the things that really matter in setting ‘the vibe’.
More seriously, the makeup of the forward line is the big pre-match question for Clarke. Lawrence Shankland has been in hot form and Ché Adams did well alongside the new Rangers striker against Bolivia. Given the opportunity against Haiti, fielding a similarly attacking side to the XI that started in New Jersey could be a risk worth taking.
Haiti impressed in their 4-0 against New Zealand but were less hot against Peru, losing 2-1. There chances rest on the ability of Sunderland’s Wilson Isidor and their talisman Duckens Nazon to trouble the Scottish backline when they get a chance on the break.
Team news at 1am BST/8pm EST/10am AEST.
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