Scotland get their 2026 World Cup campaign underway tonight (Sunday, 14th June) with a game against Haiti at 2am (UK time).
Scotland are playing at the World Cup for the first time since 1998 and will be looking to make history in North America this summer. They have never made it past the group stage of the World Cup, managing just four wins from their 23 games so far. Scotland failed to win a single game at the 1998 World Cup, with one draw and two defeats.
Haiti have also ended a long wait, appearing at their first World Cup since 1974. They lost all three games that tournament, scoring just two goals while conceding 14. However, they edged out some strong Concacaf sides such as Costa Rica and Honduras to book their place at this tournament.
This will be the first meeting between these two sides.
Haiti vs Scotland confirmed lineups
Haiti (4-4-2): Placide; Arcus, Ade, Delcroix, Experience; Louicius, Jean Jacques, Bellegarde, Providence; Pierrot, Isidor.
Scotland (4-4-2): Gunn; Hickey, Hanley, Hendry, Robertson; Gannon-Doak, McTominay, Ferguson, McGinn; Adams, Shankland.
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Haiti vs Scotland team news
There was a blow for Scotland before the World Cup began, as Billy Gilmour suffered an injury in a friendly against Curacao. Tyler Fletcher has been brought in to replace him, but he is unlikely to form part of Scotland’s first-choice midfield at the tournament. The other big decision is Steve Clarke’s move to a two-man strike force.
Che Adams and Lawrence Shankland are the strike partnership for the opener, having both started and scored in the final friendly against Bolivia. Shankland had also started the previous friendly, but Che Adams was a late arrival alongside his fellow Serie A stars. George Hirst and Lyndon Dykes will have to settle for bench roles.
There will be a Serie A look to the central midfield too, with Lewis Ferguson and Scott McTominay the first-choice pairing. John McGinn and Ben Gannon-Doak are favoured on the flanks, meaning Bournemouth’s Ryan Christie must make an impact as a sub. Andrew Robertson is captain and will lead the team from left-back, while Aaron Hickey starts on the right.
Another question will be asked about the centre-backs and goalkeeper. Angus Gunn has been given the nod in goal, having started the final friendly. Jack Hendry and Grant Hanley have been picked at centre-back ahead of John Souttar and Scott McKenna.
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Haiti look like they’ll be playing a 4-4-2 of sorts at the World Cup too, if their pre-tournament friendlies are anything to go by. And their starting XI is pretty much set. Frantzdy Pierrot appears to have won the battle over Duckens Nazon to be one of the starting strikers, with Wilson Isidor taking the other spot.
Further back, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde is one of the central midfielders, ahead of Dominique Simon who did get a chance pre-tournament. Danley Jean Jacques will partner him, in what is a midfield lacking real experience. Whether Haiti opt to be more attacking, or defensive, on the wings, Ruben Providence and Don Deedson Louicius start on the left and right, respectively.
There will be experience in Haiti’s defence, specifically Martin Experience, who will start on the left. Carlens Arcus is his full-back partner on the right. Ricardo Ade is one of the first names on the team sheet, adding actual experience at the age of 36. A few centre-backs have been trialled alongside Ade, and Lugano’s Hannes Delcroix has won the battle. Captain Johny Placide will start in goal.
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