World Cup 2026 | Haiti 0 - 1 Scotland

A memorable night for Scotland

They held out to beat Haiti and get their first World Cup win in a generation, but will they regret not scoring more goals?

Author | Sean M

Stadium | Boston Stadium

John McGinn repaid head coach Steve Clarke's faith by firing Scotland to their first World Cup victory in 36 years as they edged past Haiti on their return to the men's tournament after a 28-year absence.

Clarke said before the match that selecting the Aston Villa captain ahead of Ryan Christie was "probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make" and challenged the 31-year-old to justify his choice.

It is fair to say McGinn did exactly that, sending his country to the top of Group C and taking a significant step towards reaching the knockout stage for the first time, even if it came on a tense and nerve-racking night.

A difficult selection decision for the Scotland boss

Usually among the first names on the teamsheet, McGinn's place had come under scrutiny after Christie's impressive display in last Saturday's final friendly against Bolivia, which also raised hopes among Scotland supporters of a comfortable victory.

Despite an encouraging start, that rarely looked on the cards against Haiti, with Scotland lacking fluency in possession and indebted to their opponents' wastefulness.

The Caribbean side repeatedly delivered balls into the penalty area, and goalkeeper Angus Gunn, preferred to 43-year-old Craig Gordon, the oldest player at the tournament, was required to stay alert throughout.

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Memories of previous setbacks against Costa Rica, Iran and Peru lingered in the background.

Even so, McGinn had the chance to settle growing nerves among the Tartan Army with 20 minutes remaining, only to pull his effort wide of the target.

That ensured an anxious finale, particularly when Frantzdy Pierrot headed wide, on a day driven by anticipation and excitement.

Scotland fans making friends

Since Scotland fans arrived in Boston, they have been making friends all over the place and have created a party atmosphere. 

They return to Boston on Friday, 19 June, to face Morocco and know that a point from their remaining two group matches will probably be enough to secure progress.