Scotland facing tricky test against dangerous Haiti in World Cup opener
One of the most uplifting stories from World Cup qualifying, Haiti will now compete at the tournament for the first time since 1974, their only previous appearance.
Their path to the 2026 edition has been anything but straightforward, and many expect them to bow out quickly, but overcoming adversity has been a recurring theme in the national team's story.
Haiti has been plagued by gang violence and political instability, to the extent that their 'home' matches had to be held at neutral locations. Yet that did not stop them from creating history in qualifying, seeing off Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua to finish top of their group.
Scotland will be favourites heading into their first match, but the Haitians know how to defy the odds and will present a tough challenge for Steve Clarke's side.
An influx of new players
Haiti's improvement over the last couple of years has not been accidental. The squad has benefited from an influx of new players, with stars opting to switch allegiances and commit to Les Grenadiers.
Not all of those changes have resulted from their success either, with players like Hannes Delcroix and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde declaring for the national team at the start of the qualifying campaign rather than at the end.
Those two names might be familiar to followers of the Premier League. Bellegarde has been one of the better performers in a struggling Wolves side, while Delcroix featured for Burnley and Swansea over the last couple of seasons before moving on to Swiss club Lugano.
The former is an effective, high-energy midfielder who can contribute at both ends of the pitch but often excels slightly further forward. He registered seven assists in the 2024/25 Premier League season.
Delcroix will be a mainstay of Haiti's defence and is capable of playing centrally or on the left, with his experience across top leagues in Europe (England, Switzerland, Belgium) proving useful on the world's biggest stage.
Perhaps the most prized of their new players, however, is striker Wilson Isidor. The 25-year-old switched from France to represent Haiti in March 2026 and has been a success since his arrival.
Isidor has featured three times for Les Grenadiers and contributed with two goals and one assist, adding another level of quality to their attacking options. He played a key role in their 4-0 win over New Zealand and found the net in a narrow 2-1 defeat to Peru.
The Sunderland forward has made a big impact domestically since moving to England, registering 19 goals in 82 games despite not always being a regular starter. Isidor netted six in the Premier League this season and has shown he is capable of a range of strikes, from spectacular efforts to poacher's finishes.
Scotland, though no doubt aware of Isidor's quality, will have to keep a close eye on the threat he poses.
Other factors in Haiti's rise
Just as significant a contributor to Haiti's success has been the players who have been there long before the World Cup qualifiers.
Goalkeeper Johnny Placide, once of Oldham and now playing for Bastia, has been involved with the national team since 2011 and holds the record for the third-highest number of appearances of all time.
His influence as captain will be felt throughout the squad, as will the attacking talents of winger Louicius Deedson.
The 25-year-old bagged four goals in qualifying and averages a goal contribution once every three games for Les Grenadiers.
All of these players come together under experienced international manager Sebastien Migne.
The Frenchman has previously led the likes of DR Congo and Kenya in his career and was most recently the assistant manager of Cameroon.
He favoured a variation of a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation during Haiti's qualifying campaign but has since switched to a slightly more structured 4-4-2 in the pre-World Cup friendlies.
That change might coincide with the addition of Isidor, who often works best with a strike partner alongside him. That will likely be target man Frantzdy Pierrot, who offers a different sort of profile to Isidor, standing tall at six feet four inches.
The 31-year-old has been a mainstay of Les Grenadiers' national team for almost a decade and has 34 goals in 51 appearances.
A front two could also open up room in the side for Haiti's record goalscorer Duckens Nazon, who has bagged 44 goals in 78 matches.
A better defensive structure might be the way forward for Haiti at the World Cup and against Scotland, with Migne's side often deploying a direct, counter-attacking style.