Lone McGinn strike decides tense clash between Scotland and Haiti
A lone strike by energetic Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn earned Scotland all three points against Haiti in a tense opening World Cup Group C encounter played at the Boston Stadium, Foxborough.
The Scottish national team started well in the opening minutes of the encounter but faded off later on in the game which saw both sides waste countless of opportunities to open scores.
Haiti came out of the blocks in the 20th minute of the game with a wave of attack in an attempt to break down the defence of the Scottish team which was returning to the World Cup after 28-years.
Eight minutes later in the game, the Scotts took the lead when Haiti goalkeeper Johny Placide punched a shot fired at him by Che Adams straight to McGinn who scored on the rebound.
Read Also: World Cup: Vinicius rescues Brazil from defeat against Morocco
The game was highly competitive and physical, producing 44 combined fouls—the most in a World Cup group stage match since 2010. Despite late pressure from a brave Haiti side, Scotland’s defense held firm to keep a clean sheet.
The goal scored by McGinn proved to be the winner against Haiti (playing in their first World Cup since 1974), taking the Tartan Army on top of Group C and also turned out to be Scotland’s first win at the tournament since Italia ’90.
Scotland will next play Morocco at the Boston Stadium on Friday, June 19, 2026, while Haiti will play Brazil on the same day at the Miami Stadium.
