McGinn's Scuffed Goal Gives Scotland First World Cup
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- John McGinn scored a deflected first-half goal — which he admitted was 'scuffed' — to give Scotland a 1-0 win over Haiti in their World Cup opener, the country's first World Cup victory since 1990.
- Scotland sit top of Group C after the nervy win, with Haiti threatening to equalise in the second half before Steve Clarke's side held on.
- McGinn said he hoped children across Scotland would 'beam with pride' upon waking, noting 'the pride on my face this morning seeing all the kids going to the parks in a Scotland kit and painting their faces.'
- McGinn acknowledged Scotland 'could play a bit better' but called it a 'must-win game' they delivered, telling BBC Sport: 'It's been a long time coming.'
- Scotland face Morocco on Friday 19 June and Brazil on Wednesday 24 June — two sides McGinn acknowledged 'have the potential to go far at the World Cup.'
- McGinn said 'a generation of supporters haven't seen this,' referring to the fact it is Scotland's first World Cup finals appearance since 1998.
Why it matters: Scotland's first World Cup win in 28 years and first finals since 1998 creates a rare platform for the national side, but tough fixtures against Morocco and Brazil mean a place in the knockout stage — never reached by Scotland — depends on significant improvement. For a country starved of tournament football for nearly three decades, even a scuffed winning goal carries outsized cultural weight.
