Scotland Secures First World Cup Win in 36 Years with Victory Over Haiti

Scotland earned a valuable 1-0 victory against Haiti at Gillette Stadium during the opening round of Group C in the 2026 World Cup. The only goal came in the 28th minute when John McGinn capitalized on a rebound from the Haitian goalkeeper after a shot by Che Adams, which deflected off a defender and found the net.

The match featured several historic milestones for Scotland. Findley Cortes became the youngest player to represent Scotland at a World Cup, aged 19 years and 255 days. John McGinn set a new record as the oldest Scottish player to score in a World Cup at 31 years and 238 days, surpassing Kenny Dalglish's previous record from the 1982 tournament.

Scotland also became the first European team to win a match at the 2026 World Cup. This victory marked Scotland's first World Cup win since the 1990 Italy tournament, ending a 36-year drought. Additionally, the team recorded their first-ever World Cup win while wearing their away kit.

With this goal, McGinn raised his total to 21 goals for Scotland and became the first Scottish player to score in a World Cup since Craig Burley’s goal against Norway in 1998.

The win placed Scotland at the top of Group C with three points, while Haiti remained at the bottom without any points, increasing the significance of the upcoming matches in the competition’s qualification race. This result confirmed Scotland’s strong return to the World Cup stage after a long absence, delivering an ideal start to their 2026 campaign.