Scotland's World Cup hopes are in significant peril after calamitous defending allowed Brazil to win 3-0 in Miami, leaving the Tartan Army in the dark over whether they will progress. Brazil finished top of Group C with seven points, while Morocco confirmed their place in the last 32 after a dramatic 4-2 victory over Haiti on Wednesday – but fell short of topping the group on goal difference.
Morocco twice came from behind to beat a plucky Haiti side, with substitute Soufiane Rahimi thrashing home from close range in the 78th minute and 20-year-old Gessime Yassine adding a fourth in stoppage time. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi admitted his side had targeted first place: “We were looking for first spot in the group, but Haiti had nothing to lose and played a good transition game, so it was not an easy game for us.” Haiti manager Sebastien Migne, whose side lost all three group games, said: “We showed that we didn’t steal our spot here. We deserve to be here.”
“Scotland's World Cup hopes hang by a thread after 3-0 defeat to Brazil, with third-place verdict due Sunday.”
Scotland's fate now depends on the third-place lifeline in the expanded 48-team tournament. The eight highest-performing nations out of the twelve third-place finishers will also secure a spot in the knockout stages. The group stage concludes on Saturday, June 27, meaning the definitive third-place standings cannot be confirmed until Sunday morning. The Tartan Army face an anxious wait to discover whether their team's campaign is over or can continue against the odds.