Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 in their 2026 World Cup opener in Massachusetts

Scotland opened their 2026 World Cup campaign on 13 June 2026 with a 1-0 win over Haiti in their Group C match at the stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, near Boston.

John McGinn scored the only goal in the 28th minute, when his shot deflected off a Haiti defender and beat goalkeeper Johny Placide. Captain Scott McTominay played and struck the post with a long-range effort earlier in the half, though reports described his overall impact as limited. Scotland had to hold on for the final result.

The victory mattered because it was Scotland's first World Cup win since they beat Sweden 2-1 in 1990, and it ended a long absence from the tournament that stretched back 28 years. It put Scotland top of Group C after the first round of games. Haiti, appearing at a World Cup for the first time since 1974, lost their opener and next faced Brazil.

McTominay's later disclosure that he had received heart treatment before this match has given the game added significance in hindsight.