Scotland beats Haiti and secures first World Cup group-stage win since 1990

Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 on Saturday evening in Kansas City in Group C of the 2026 World Cup, securing their first group-stage victory at a World Cup since 1990 — a 36-year wait.

The match was not a masterpiece. Andy Robertson’s teammates made the difference in the first half thanks to a laboured goal from John McGinn, whose shot was deflected in after a poor clearance by Haiti’s defence (27th). It was the only moment of clarity for a Scottish team that clearly struggled to preserve their advantage thereafter.

In the second half, Haiti — playing their first World Cup match since 1974 — put the Scots under pressure without managing to equalize. The Haitians’ resilience was not enough to overturn a narrowly secured result.

Thanks to this victory, Scotland sits atop Group C with a two-point lead over Brazil and Morocco, who drew earlier in the day (1-1). Two major clashes now await Steve Clarke’s side to confirm this position.