Haiti-Scotland: Battle of Two Long-Awaited Returns

In the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group C match, Haiti and Scotland face each other at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough near Boston. The match will start at 04:00 Turkey time on Sunday morning, June 14 (local time Saturday, June 13 at 21:00 ET). Other times: BST 02:00, CEST 03:00. The two teams face each other for the first time in history; this situation gives the match a unique historical quality. Since Brazil and Morocco are the other two teams in Group C, the hopes of both teams to advance from the group largely depend on this match.

Haiti has returned to the World Cup stage after a 52-year gap. The Caribbean team under Sebastien Migne's management had last participated in the tournament at the 1974 Germany World Cup. The Grenadiers earned their ticket by taking 6 wins and 2 draws in 10 CONCACAF qualifying matches; they secured participation by beating Costa Rica 1-0 and Nicaragua 2-0 in November 2025. Haiti, ranked 83rd in the FIFA rankings, increased their motivation by beating New Zealand 4-0 in their recent warm-up matches; however, they lost 2-1 to Peru. Wolverhampton's Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Wilson Isidor, who newly transferred to Sunderland, stand out as the most striking names in the squad. Isidor recently preferred to play with the Haiti national team. The 38-year-old captain Johny Placide, the team's most-capped player (81 caps), will take his place in goal.

Scotland under Steve Clarke's management has returned to the World Cup after a 28-year gap. The Tartan Army had last participated in the tournament at the 1998 France World Cup. This is Scotland's 9th World Cup appearance. The team, ranked 42nd in the FIFA rankings, scored a total of 8 goals against Curaçao and Bolivia in warm-up matches. This match is critical for Steve Clarke; because while powerful opponents like Brazil and Morocco await, the 3 points to be taken against Haiti will keep the chance of advancing from the group alive. On the injury side, Billy Gilmour was ruled out of the tournament due to the knee injury he sustained in the Curaçao warm-up match; Manchester United's young player Tyler Fletcher was called up to the squad in his place. Young star Ben Doak and experienced Scott McTominay will serve as the key names of the attacking line.

Haiti Probable XI (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Johny Placide (C)
Defence: Carlens Arcus - Ricardo Ade - Hannes Delcroix - Martin Experience
Midfield: Ruben Providence - Jean-Ricner Bellegarde - Danley Jean Jacques - Josue Casimir
Forward: Wilson Isidor - Duckens Nazon

Scotland Probable XI (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Angus Gunn
Defence: Andrew Robertson - Scott McKenna - John Souttar - Aaron Hickey
Midfield: Lewis Ferguson - Ryan Christie
Attack line: John McGinn - Scott McTominay - Ben Doak
Forward: Che Adams

Image: si.com