Haiti 0–1 Scotland: McGinn's deflected effort delivers historic World Cup win
Scotland claimed their first World Cup victory since 1990 with a hard-fought 1–0 win over Haiti at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on June 13, 2026. It was also the Scots' first appearance at a World Cup since 1998, making the victory doubly significant for Steve Clarke's side.
John McGinn settled nerves in the 28th minute when a shot from Che Adams rebounded off goalkeeper Johny Placide and into open space; McGinn pounced from 13 yards out and his effort deflected off a Haitian defender and into the net. Scotland went into the break protecting their lead and spent the second half defending resolutely.
Haiti pushed for an equalizer but were unable to find a way through, and Scotland's discipline and organization were rewarded with three points. The result placed Scotland top of Group C at the end of Matchday 1, with group favourites Brazil and Morocco having drawn earlier in the day.
Key moments
- •Scotland's first World Cup victory since defeating Sweden 2-1 in 1990
- •Scotland's first World Cup appearance since France 1998
- •John McGinn's deflected 28th-minute strike was the only goal
- •Goal followed a rebound off Haiti goalkeeper Placide from Che Adams' attempt
- •64,146 fans attended at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Timeline
Match facts
- Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
- 64,146 attendance
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- Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal
Match report generated from publicly available sources. Facts are drawn from the sources below.