Chong's early strike puts Curacao ahead against Scotland in World Cup warm-up

Tahith Chong put Curacao ahead against Scotland at Hampden Park after just 17 minutes, collecting a forward pass, darting away from Scott McKenna, sitting down John Souttar and guiding a composed finish past Craig Gordon to make it 0-1.

The goal arrived in a match Steve Clarke had specifically arranged to simulate the conditions Scotland will face at the 2026 World Cup, where they open Group C against Haiti in Boston. Clarke views Curacao as a stylistically comparable opponent to Haiti, making the friendly a meaningful rehearsal rather than a routine fixture.

Clarke rested six key players for the game. John McGinn and Scott McTominay were both absent, as were Che Adams, Lewis Ferguson, Kieran Tierney and Ross Stewart — all held back ahead of the tournament itself.

Before Chong’s opener, Scotland had shown early intent. Andy Robertson swung a free kick onto the head of George Hirst in the fifth minute, but the striker nodded wide. Ryan Gannon-Doak was lively on the right flank, and Robertson himself fired over from the edge of the box after Christie laid off a cleared cross in the eighth minute.

Curacao also threatened before the goal, with the Bacuna brothers combining just outside the Scotland box in the 14th minute. Juninho Bacuna went to ground after a challenge from Billy Gilmour, but the referee waved play on, judging there was insufficient contact.

Scotland’s group at the 2026 World Cup also includes Morocco and Brazil, making a positive result against Haiti in the opener widely regarded as essential for progression. Clarke, who has committed his long-term future to the national side, has used the current international window to rotate his squad and spread minutes across a broader pool of players. Scotland’s last ten goals across all competitions were shared among nine different scorers, with McTominay the only player to net more than once during that run.