Scotland will return to the World Cup after nearly three decades, and according to an EA FC 26 simulation, Steve Clarke's men will secure a dominant victory over Haiti in their Group C opener.
Simulation Predicts Strong Start
The digital crystal ball suggests Scotland will end a 28-year wait for World Cup action with a convincing win. The match kicks off at 2am BST on Sunday, June 14, testing the dedication of the Tartan Army, but fans are expected to rally.
Scotland's automatic qualification for the 2026 tournament has eased the pain of near misses in previous campaigns, including the heartbreaking defeat to Ukraine in 2022 and the agony in Ljubljana against Slovenia in 2017.
Predicted Lineup and Match Flow
The simulation tweaked the default lineup to predict Clarke's approach. Angus Gunn started in goal, with John Souttar partnering Grant Hanley in central defense. The predicted XI was: Gunn; Hickey, Hanley, Souttar, Robertson (c); Gannon-Doak, Christie, Ferguson, McGinn; McTominay; Adams.
The first hour was nervy, with Scotland dominating possession (72%) and creating six shots but unable to beat Haiti's goalkeeper Johny Placide. The deadlock was broken in the 62nd minute by Scott McTominay, who curled a shot into the bottom right corner after turning his defender inside the box.
Scotland sealed the win with 10 minutes left when Ryan Christie calmly finished from close range after a one-touch passing move involving Che Adams.
Final Score and Statistics
Scotland finished with 74% possession and 10 shots to Haiti's zero, securing an authoritative 2-0 victory. The simulation offers hope that the real match will mirror this result when the final whistle blows around 4am BST.
Fans will be eager to see if McTominay can repeat his goal-scoring heroics and if Gunn can maintain a clean sheet as Scotland begins their World Cup campaign.
