John McGinn's goal on 28 minutes was enough for Scotland to open their 2026 World Cup campaign with a narrow but deserved victory over Haiti at Gillette Stadium in Boston. One goal, one clean sheet, three points. Steve Clarke's side will take it.
The game's defining moment arrived just before the half-hour mark. McGinn, operating in his customary box-to-box role, moved into the Haiti penalty area and finished to make it 0-1. No fuss, no preamble. Scotland had their lead, and for all Haiti's subsequent endeavour, they never truly looked like taking it back.
The statistics carry a surface-level oddity: Haiti enjoyed 54 per cent possession and mustered 15 shots in total to Scotland's nine. They also registered an expected goals figure of 1.21, fractionally higher than the Scots' 1.07. None of that, however, produced a goal. Johny Placide was required to make just one save all evening, and Haiti's two shots on target amounted to nothing. Shooting nine times off target tells its own story about the quality of their finishing.
Scotland, working with less of the ball, were far more economical inside the box. Eight of their nine efforts came from inside the area. Lewis Ferguson was energetic and efficient throughout, helping Scotland maintain their defensive shape even when possession drifted to Haiti. Grant Hanley and Jack Hendry were composed at centre-back, dealing comfortably with whatever Frantzdy Pierrot and Wilson Isidor threw at them. Isidor was replaced in the 76th minute with Haiti yet to threaten meaningfully.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was Haiti's most dangerous operator in possession, collecting the game's only yellow card in the process of putting himself about. Ruben Providence worked hard until his withdrawal in the 85th minute, and Danley Jean Jacques was a steady if unremarkable presence in midfield. The problem was consistently converting pressure into genuine chances. Haiti sent three efforts wide or high and were caught offside three times, small details that compound into a frustrating evening.
For Scotland, the booking count was the one blemish: three yellows across the squad, including Kenny McLean and Findlay Curtis in the closing stages after coming off the bench. Clarke will want that tidied up before the next game, particularly in a group that contains Brazil and Morocco, who drew 1-1 in their opening fixture.
Andy Robertson was his reliable self at left-back, covering ground with the authority of a player in peak form. Scott McTominay did enough without dominating, and Ben Gannon-Doak provided energy on the right until his withdrawal at the 75-minute mark alongside Che Adams. Adams and Lawrence Shankland worked hard without the service to show for it. Both departed in the second half with the scoreline secured.
Angus Gunn's two saves kept the sheet clean, though neither stop was routine given the pressure Haiti intermittently applied. He was not overwhelmed, but he was needed.
Scotland will move into the group standings following this result, armed with three points from their opener against a Haiti side with genuine technical quality in midfield. It is precisely the sort of controlled opening Clarke would have requested. McGinn provided the difference. He usually does.
Haiti, for their part, are not without resources. Their 85 per cent passing accuracy suggests a team comfortable on the ball, and Sebastien Migne will know his side created enough to at least draw. Whether they can convert that possession into goals will determine whether they can still progress from a group that now features two nations ranked among the world's elite.