Scotland hasn’t played a World Cup match since 1998. That’s 28 years of waiting, hoping, and enduring the kind of qualifying heartbreak that would make even the most committed optimist consider a new hobby.
That drought ends on June 14, 2026, when Scotland face Haiti in their opening group match at the FIFA World Cup in the United States. And Kelly Cates, one of BBC Sport’s most recognizable faces and a co-host of Match of the Day, will be the one guiding viewers through it all from the BBC studio.
A 2am kickoff and a nation that won’t care
The match kicks off at 2am BST. BBC One and iPlayer coverage begins at 1:10am, giving viewers just enough time to brew a coffee strong enough to get them through 90 minutes of what will almost certainly be an emotionally exhausting watch.
The late timing is a direct consequence of the tournament’s geography. The 2026 World Cup is being hosted across the USA, Canada, and Mexico, the first tri-nation hosting arrangement in the competition’s history.
