Scotland 0–1 Morocco: Saibari's early strike sinks the Scots
Morocco beat Scotland 1-0 in their Group C clash at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, taking the lead inside the opening two minutes and never relinquishing it. Ismael Saibari slipped behind the Scotland defence to latch onto a through ball from Brahim Diaz and finished into the top-left corner, the fastest goal of the 2026 World Cup so far.
Morocco controlled the game and threatened to extend their lead, with Bilal El Khannouss heading an Achraf Hakimi corner straight at goalkeeper Angus Gunn in the second half. Scotland struggled to create clear chances, their best moments coming late, and were left frustrated when a penalty claim involving Scott McTominay was waved away in the 81st minute. The defeat leaves Steve Clarke's side needing a result against Brazil to keep their hopes of progression alive.
Key moments
- •Ismael Saibari put Morocco ahead inside the opening minutes, finishing a Brahim Diaz through ball into the top-left corner for the fastest goal of the 2026 World Cup.
- •Bilal El Khannouss headed an Achraf Hakimi corner at Angus Gunn as Morocco pressed for a second.
- •Scotland's 81st-minute penalty claim involving Scott McTominay was turned down by referee Ilgiz Tantashev.
- •The match was played at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in front of a crowd of 64,146.
- •Morocco's win left Scotland needing a result against Brazil to stay in contention in Group C.
Timeline
Match facts
- Boston Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
- 64,146 attendance
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- Referee: Il'giz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)
Match report generated from publicly available sources. Facts are drawn from the sources below.