Scotland are off and running. John McGinn's 28th-minute strike was enough to beat Haiti 1-0 in Foxborough and put the Tartan Army top of Group C on opening night.
This wasn't a clinic. It was a tournament opener, with all the nerves and territorial scraps that come with one, and Scotland did what favorites are supposed to do — find a moment, take it, and protect it. McGinn's deflected finish in the 28th minute came after Che Adams plucked a long Grant Hanley pass out of the sky, and from there Steve Clarke's side were happy to soak up Haiti's energy and walk off with the 3 points.
Scotland4-4-2
Haiti4-4-2
Starting 11s.
Scotland could have had a second before the goal — Scott McTominay rattled the post earlier in the half — and Haiti made them sweat after the break, pressing higher and forcing Angus Gunn into the kind of defensive shift that wins games rather than wins style points. Wilson Isidor and Frantzdy Pierrot both had looks. Neither landed. Haiti finished with more of the ball and more shots, but the only number on the scoreboard belonged to McGinn.
Show fees
FT
Spread
Advance
Total
Haiti(0-0-1)
0
+0.5
+257
+1011
o1.5
-190
Scotland(1-0-0)
1
-0.5
+120
-115
u1.5
+614
In-Game
Whale Buys
Advance includes extra time & pens; spread + total settle on 90 minutes.
The market had Scotland as a clear favorite at Polymarket — somewhere in the mid-50s implied — with Haiti the live dog in the high teens. A 1-0 win for the side priced like that isn't a shock, it's the median outcome. The under 1.5 goals ticket, on the other hand, was the part the books got wrong: total markets sat well over a coin flip on over 1.5, and a tight, cagey opener delivered the under.
The group picture didn't move much. Brazil are still the runaway favorite to win Group C after their 1-1 draw with Morocco, and Scotland sit a distant third in the win-the-group market at 11.4%. What did shift is the second ticket out: Scotland's round of 16 odds nudged ahead of Haiti's, with Clarke's men now the more likely qualifier of the two. A point off Morocco or a miracle off Brazil and the math gets very friendly very quickly.
Next up is the hard part. Scotland get Morocco, the side most likely to be fighting them for second, and then close with Brazil. Haiti are in the opposite spot — Brazil first, Morocco last, and now needing results from both after losing the game everyone identified as the most winnable. The opener gave Scotland breathing room. It gave Haiti a problem.
Morocco2-4
Brazil0-3
Scotland0-1