Scotland are back. Twenty-eight years. Three decades of watching other nations get knocked out of tournaments they didn't deserve to win, four years of brilliant qualifying campaigns collapsing at the final hurdle, and now — finally — Steve Clarke's Scotland have made it to a World Cup. Their last appearance was France 1998. Scott McTominay wasn't old enough to form a full memory. He now plays for Napoli, won Serie A Player of the Season, and is the heartbeat of a Scotland midfield that finally looks like a real international midfield.
John McGinn, fresh from Aston Villa's Europa League triumph, anchors the right side. Andy Robertson leads them as captain. And tonight they open against Haiti — ranked 82nd in the world, resourceful, physical, and built on the pedigree of PSG and Roma connections through Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Wilson Isidor. Scotland should win this. The Galáctico's couch has spent enough years watching Scotland to note he will be watching from behind his cushion until the 70-minute mark regardless.
Haiti's best run was qualifying for 1974 and picking up a point at that tournament. Bellegarde's technical ability and Isidor's pace offer genuine counter-attacking threat. They're not here to make up numbers — the Caribbean's surprising qualifiers beat CONCACAF sides who had no answer for their direct, athletic style. Whether that translates against a Scotland midfield of actual Serie A and Premier League quality is a different question entirely.
McTominay won Serie A Player of the Season. Let that land. A Scottish footballer who plays with the composure and creative intelligence of a modern central midfielder — not a relentless box-to-box warrior but an actual football-playing machine who finds spaces and fills them. Robertson's experience. McGinn's energy. Tierney's heart. Scotland look like a real team this time, not just a team of players who happen to play in a national shirt.
McTominay scores — he's been scoring all season in Italy, he will not stop now simply because the shirt colour is different. Scotland win 2-0, look professional and occasionally brilliant, and the Tartan Army stays up until 3 AM in Scottish pubs watching via satellite and convinces itself this is finally the tournament. The Galáctico allows himself to believe it too, just a little.
Scotland Will Win This Convincingly and the Entire Nation Will Immediately Pivot to Worrying About Game 2. A 2-0 win over Haiti will be received as "yes but Brazil" within approximately eleven minutes of the final whistle. This is the curse. This has always been the curse. The Galáctico admires their dedication to the bit.
McTominay Is Genuinely One of the Best Midfielders at This Tournament and Nobody Outside of Naples Has Properly Adjusted to That Yet. Serie A Player of the Season. More progressive carries than anyone at Napoli. A goal contribution rate that would embarrass better-known players. Scotland have a superstar and the football world will know it by June 25. The couch knew it earlier.
Haiti Will Score in This Match. The Galáctico is not operating on evidence here. He is operating on a firmly held belief that Scotland, no matter how good they look for seventy-five minutes, will concede at least one chance that makes the blood run slightly cold. Haiti will take at least one. Whether it goes in is the only open question. The score will be 2-0. The couch will be stressed the whole time regardless.