John McGinn’s deflected goal helped Scotland win the World Cup for the first time since 1990.
Published June 14, 2026
John McGinn’s stunning finish gave Scotland a 1-0 victory over outsiders Haiti, marking their return to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years.
Aston Villa captain McGinn took advantage of a deflection to fire a shot just before the end of the half-hour at Gillette Stadium on the outskirts of Boston, but the venue was packed with 64,000 mostly Scottish fans.
They traveled to the United States in droves to follow Scotland’s first World Cup campaign since 1998, and were able to celebrate a rare victory in the tournament by finishing top of Group C.
It was Scotland’s first World Cup win since beating Sweden 2-1 in Italy in 1990, and their first win in a major competition in 30 years since Euro 96.
Steve Clarke’s side are looking to make history by reaching the final stages of a World Cup, something Scotland has never done before.
In the end, they had to persevere in a difficult situation, but with the victory, they now have a path to advance to the top 32. Especially since the top eight teams in third place will advance from the group stage.
Haiti were ranked 84th in the world, one of the bottom teams in the competition, and Scotland knew it was important to beat the Caribbean nation, which would present an even tougher challenge.
Their next match on Friday will be against Morocco at the same stadium before heading to Miami to take on Brazil. In the other Group C matchup in New Jersey on Saturday, Morocco and Brazil drew 1-1.
Haiti’s achievement of qualifying for the World Cup is one of the most emotional stories of the tournament, given that the team was unable to qualify at home due to domestic turmoil.
Their lineup included midfielder Jean-Richner Bellegarde and striker Wilson Isidore, who featured regularly in the English Premier League this season.
However, the Scottish side has more depth with the likes of McGinn, skipper Andy Robertson and Scott McTominay.
Napoli’s attacking midfielder and scorer, who scored an iconic overhead kick in the final-qualifier against Denmark, was able to shake off a stomach ache and deserve to start the game.
The Scottish side, playing in salmon pink, almost took the lead in the 17th minute when McTominay reached the edge of the area and hit the post from a lay-off from Ben Gannon and Doak.
Haiti began to develop as a threat when Scotland took the lead in the 28th minute.
After Che Adams stretched out the opposing defense, Gannon-Doak’s ball fell to McGinn, whose shot went through the outstretched legs of Bellegarde and into the net.
Trying to avoid defeat in their first ever World Cup match, they were unable to build on it as Haiti pushed them back and increased the pressure in the closing stages.
French-born Ruben Providence was a regular threat on the wing, and imposing centre-forward Franz Di Pierrot almost equalized in the 85th minute, but his towering header went just wide.
Haiti, which lost all three games in its only World Cup appearance in 1974, will next face Brazil in Philadelphia.
