Scotland's World Cup 2026 campaign begins with a match against Haiti on Sunday at 02:00 BST. The Tartan Army will be hoping for a repeat of their 1998 performance, when they reached the second round. Scotland's recent form has been mixed, with a 2-0 win over Denmark in the play-offs followed by losses to Japan and Ivory Coast, and victories over Bolivia and Curacao. Haiti, ranked 83rd in the world, are the third-worst ranked team in Group C. The group also includes Morocco, ranked 7th, and Brazil, ranked 6th. Scotland's head coach, Steve Clarke, has been in fine form, displaying a more light-hearted side in press conferences. The Governor of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, has been a vocal supporter of Scotland, even joking about sending out an SOS for more alcohol to fellow governors in New England and Canada. The USA, co-hosts of the tournament, have been making waves with their high-pressing, attacking style of play under coach Mauricio Pochettino. Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun have been key players for the USA, with Balogun scoring a brace and Pulisic providing an assist in their 4-1 win over Paraguay. The USA's World Cup record is impressive, having reached the quarter-finals in 2002, but they have never gone further. The USA's performance against Paraguay has raised hopes among fans, but some critics argue that the USA squad is not strong enough to compete with the top teams. The USA's victory over Paraguay was also notable for a VAR decision that allowed the game to restart after a mistaken identity call, with the officials booking the wrong player. With four games in the next 24 hours, including the standout fixtures of Brazil v Morocco and Haiti v Scotland, the World Cup is set to be an exciting tournament. Scotland will be hoping to make an impact and reach the second round, while the USA will be aiming to go further than they have in previous tournaments.
