BOSTON, Mass. — Haiti lost to Scotland 1-0 in its opening game in the 2026 FIFA World Cup at a soldout Gillette Stadium in Boston on June 13. The game was Haiti’s best chance on paper to rack up its first World Cup victory since the European nation was Les Grenadiers’ weakest opponent in the group stage, but Scotland took the win —helped along by a series of missed penalty calls that fans say might have allowed Haiti to score.
Haiti had a slow start and the fans failed to energize the team as they timidly cheered, some said. Meanwhile, the Scots chanted and roared when their players penetrated Haiti’s defensive third or made a tackle.
“I feel like we’re not motivating the team enough,” Christie Mérismé, of Massachusetts, said at halftime. “I feel like we’re not getting our voices together.”
Scotland midfielder John McGinn opened the scoring in the 28th minute, blasting a loose ball into the net from the 18-yard box.
Haiti’s game versus Scotland was considered a “must-win” for Les Grenadiers in order to have a high chance to move the knockout round since the remaining encounters are difficult games against powerhouses Brazil and Morocco. Consequently, the loss left an aching feeling in the air in the Haitian American community.
“They [Scotland] were the team for us to beat in our group,” Carl Clermond, an entrepreneur who traveled from Port-au-Prince to the U.S. to attend the game, said. “This really breaks my heart. We lost to the team we should’ve defeated.”
Over in New Jersey, Stephanie Clervoyant-Noel, commissioner for the Elizabeth Board of Education, is still keeping her head high despite the loss.
“I’m a little bit disappointed, but I’m still holding on to faith because we haven’t been here in a while,” said Clervoyant-Noel, who attended The Haitian Times official watch party in New Jersey during halftime. “There were several opportunities where they could have scored but didn’t. Scotland should have never gotten that point.”
Despite the loss, Haiti impressed the world, putting up a solid performance. They led the Scots in ball movement, completing 391 passes when Scotland made 373. Les Grenadiers also outshot The Tartan Army 13-8 but both sides put three shots on target.
The Haitians struggled to make accurate final passes as players often overhit their passes when they charged down Scotland’s half. Haiti’s best chance to equalize was when striker Frantzdy Pierrot’s header whistled past the right goalpost in the 85th minute.
Controversial calls for penalties and red cards
Haitian fans and analysts argue that Haiti should have been awarded two penalty kicks when Scot defender Grant Hanley appeared to intentionally hand the ball in the box in the 73rd and 79th minute.
Fans also think Scot defender Kenny McLean should have been sent off when he kicked Haitian winger Josué Casimir in the knee in the 95th minute.
Fans in the stands also criticized what they saw as a clear red flag when a Scottish player appeared to twist the arm and grab Haitian winger Ruben Providence’s jersey in the first half. Providence retaliated by shoving the Scot player. The referee inflicted Haiti with a foul, but Haitian fans felt like the referee should have blown his whistle against Scotland since when [name] initially grabbed Providence.
Hair fans booed and grumbled at the time, believing it was early yet in the match, and the game moved on with no challenges.
Later in the evening, as the frustrating loss set in, soccer fans and analysts across the world took to social media to revive the bad calls and accuse the referees, and FIFA at large, of racism against Haiti.
Haiti now sits in last place in its group with zero points, while Scotland is on top with three points. Brazil and Morocco drew 1-1 in the other encounter in Group C and are now in second and third place respectively.
Haiti’s next game will be against Brazil on June 19 at Philadelphia Stadium at 8:30 p.m. ET. Haitian fans hope Les Grenadiers will score against Brazil or even pull out an unexpected win.
“I’m still hoping for things to turn around against Brazil,” Clermond, 50s, said. “I think we can surprise this Brazilian team.”
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