Scotland and Haiti chase elusive first World Cup win in crucial Group C opener

A clash of droughts

Scotland have never progressed past the group stage in eight previous attempts, while Haiti lost all three games without scoring in their sole 1974 appearance. The expansion to a round of 32 means three points and a respectable goal difference could be enough for one of them to advance. Neither can afford to wait.

Scotland's return

Steve Clarke's side booked their first spot since 1998 and arrive in Boston having scored eight goals in warm-up wins over Curacao (4-1) and Bolivia (4-0). Lawrence Shankland, freshly signed by Rangers, struck three times across those games, and Che Adams added a brace against Bolivia. Clarke called his selection dilemmas "fantastic problems" ahead of the Haiti match.

“Hopefully that doesn't spread. I am sure everybody has fingers crossed that Scotty will be fine. … He is a true talent, a special player, an amazing guy.”

Scott McTominay's stomach bug is the main concern. The Napoli midfielder missed Thursday's final training session but is expected to recover. Centre-back Scott McKenna's minutes have also been managed. Billy Gilmour – ruled out for eight weeks with a knee injury – flew to Boston on his 25th birthday to join the squad and soak in the atmosphere.

Haiti's belief

Haiti thrashed New Zealand 4-0 before a narrow 2-1 loss to Peru in their preparations. They rely on a foreign-based squad, with midfielder Woodensky Pierre the only domestic player, and coach Sebastien Migne has never set foot in Haiti because of gang warfare at home. In Boston, home to the third-largest Haitian community in the US, they will not lack support.

“We're trying to do something that's never been done before. We understand it's a hard task, but we have a lot of belief in ourselves. We don't have anything to lose, we have everything to gain.”

Winger Etienne, of Toronto FC, highlights the arrival of Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor, who switched from France in March and scored six goals in 11 starts during the club's Europa League qualification campaign.

Group C pressure

Five-time champions Brazil and 2022 semi-finalists Morocco complete Group C. A positive result on Saturday would give either Scotland or Haiti a realistic path to the knockouts. For two nations that have waited decades – or forever – for a World Cup victory, the stakes could not be higher.