It was not pretty, but John McGinn does not care. The Aston Villa midfielder’s deflected, scuffed effort in the first half was enough to give Scotland a 1-0 win over Haiti in their World Cup opener – their first victory at the tournament since 1990 and their first appearance at the finals since 1998.
“It wasn’t my best of goals but who cares? It’s been a long time coming,” McGinn told BBC Sport. “I scuffed it a wee bit.” The goal came after Che Adams’ initial effort was saved, and McGinn pounced on the follow-up. The Tartan Army erupted in Foxborough as Scotland moved top of Group C, despite a nervy second half in which Haiti threatened to equalise.
“John McGinn's scuffed goal gives Scotland first World Cup win since 1990, 1-0 over Haiti.”
Manager Steve Clarke praised his side’s resilience. “Just said to [captain] Andy Robertson there, it’s about time we won a game in the group stage,” Clarke said. “Everyone said must win… we won. That’s what this team is all about. They can play, but if they have to dig in they do that as well. Defensively outstanding.”
Scotland had come into the game after impressive warm-up victories against Curacao and Bolivia, scoring eight goals. Expectations were high, but they were far from fluent against a Haiti side McGinn described as “a decent team”. Scott McTominay was passed fit after a stomach bug, adding to the sense of relief.
The win sets up crucial group matches against Morocco on Friday 19 June and Brazil on Wednesday 24 June. “We’ve been through a lot of hurt as a country,” McGinn said. “A generation of supporters haven’t seen this. But the pride on my face this morning seeing all the kids going to the parks in a Scotland kit and painting their faces. Hopefully when kids get up tomorrow they’ll be beaming with pride because I am.”
Elsewhere in the tournament, FIFA confirmed a controversial VAR failure during Qatar’s 1-1 draw with Switzerland, after replays showed Remon Freuler was offside in the build-up to a penalty awarded against Qatar. And two men, Mustafa Salik and Erfan Kamal, have been charged with receiving stolen property – the England kit and equipment worth $18,000 (£13,000) – in Missouri. Meanwhile, fans have pointed out large sections of stadiums left empty amid expensive ticket prices, an issue noticeable from the start of the tournament.
But for Scotland, the focus remains on the pitch. McGinn summed it up: “It sets things up for Friday.”