Scotland beat Haiti in their opening 2026 World Cup match, leaving Steve Clarke's side top of Group C - ahead of Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil09:28, 14 Jun 2026Scotland are in dreamland after opening their 2026 World Cup campaign with a famous 1-0 victory over Haiti. Making their first appearance on football's biggest stage in 28 years, Steve Clarke's side marked the occasion in style as John McGinn's deflected strike on 28 minutes secured their first World Cup win since 1990.‌The result sparked jubilant celebrations among the Tartan Army on both sides of the Atlantic. And while supporters celebrated a historic night, the outcome also sent an unexpected ripple of concern through Brazil's camp as the race for qualification from Group C took an intriguing early twist.‌With Brazil held to a 1-1 draw by Morocco earlier in the day, Scotland end the opening round of Group C fixtures at the summit. While Carlo Ancelotti's side remain favourites to top the group, Scotland's winning start has piled immediate pressure on the five-time world champions.‌The reaction from Brazil's media has been telling. Outlet Lance claimed the Selecao must be "perfect" for the remainder of the group stage if they are to guarantee progression ahead of Scotland and Morocco.JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page"With Scotland's victory, Brazil is now tied on points with Morocco for second place in the group. Therefore, the Brazilian team needs a perfect record in the remainder of the group stage to avoid depending on other results and finishing in second place, which would lead to a match against the leader of Group F, which includes the Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, and Sweden," the publication wrote.‌"The Scottish fans were one of the highlights of the match. After a 28-year absence, European supporters were able to see their national team in a World Cup again, and they did not disappoint. Outnumbering them in the stadium, they cheered on Steve Clarke's team throughout the 90 minutes and left with three points and, most importantly, the lead in their group at the end of the first round."Globo were equally impressed by Scotland's performance and fully recognised the scale of their achievement in Massachusetts.‌"Brazil's group in the World Cup has a leader, and it's not Ancelotti's team nor the emerging Morocco. It's Scotland, who won a tough game against Haiti on Saturday night in Boston, USA, with a goal from McGinn, a midfielder for Aston Villa (England). The Scots withstood the pressure in the second half to come away with a valuable 1-0 victory," they wrote."Scotland ended two long and frustrating droughts in their match against Haiti. They won a World Cup game for the first time in 36 years: their last victory was a 2-1 win against Sweden in 1990; and McGinn's goal marked the first World Cup victory for the country in 28 years: the last one was by Craig Burley in a 1-1 draw with Norway in 1998."For a nation desperate to make history on the biggest stage, Scotland could hardly have asked for a better start. One match into the tournament, Clarke's men sit top of the group - and, if the Brazilian press reaction is anything to go by, have already altered the mood among one of the competition's traditional heavyweights.‌Scotland face Morocco next on Friday, June 19, before wrapping up their group campaign against Brazil on Wednesday, June 24.While third place may be enough to seal passage to the knockout rounds, Clarke's side will be eager to get at least one more point on the board to strengthen their position and potentially make history as the first Scotland team in history to qualify from their World Cup group.Article continues belowJoin our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.