Getty ImagesThe dust has just about settled on Scotland’s first World Cup win since 1990 against Haiti.
And the Scots could barely have wanted more than sitting top of Group C after one game, but face a difficult task to guarantee qualification out of the group for the first time ever.
Tens of thousands of the Tartan Army have descended on Boston for Scotland’s first World Cup since France in 1998.
And the Scots were celebrating after beating Haiti 1-0 in Boston on Saturday evening, thanks to a goal in the first half from John McGinn.
The win put the team in a strong position to qualify from the group, particularly after Morocco drew 1-1 with Brazil in their opening game last weekend.
Group C
| Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 | W |
| Morocco | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | D |
| Brazil | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | D |
| Haiti | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | L |
Updated 14 Jun 2026, 04:03
What lies in wait for Scotland against Morocco?
Ranked seventh among the best teams in the world, Morocco is no mug.
They are unbeaten for almost two and a half years, since they lost to South Africa at AFCON in January 2024. For some, they are dark horses to go all the way in the tournament.
This is their seventh visit to a World Cup since they first appeared at the global showpiece in Mexico in 1970.
They suffered group-stage exits in four of their first five World Cups, including at France 98 when they defeated Scotland 3-0 in their final match before exiting the tournament.
Their best performance came in Qatar in 2022 when they reached the semi-finals before losing 2-0 to France.
Morocco won the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) earlier this year following a highly controversial final that saw players walk off the pitch.
Their squad is made up of some big names, led by captain Achraf Hakimi, a regular starter for Paris Saint-Germain.
Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz and Ismael Saibari of PSV Eindhoven will prove a threat in attack, with Saibari scoring in the 1-1 draw with Brazil.
Mohamed Ouahbi, their head coach, was only appointed in March.
The Belgium-born 49-year-old began his coaching career in his early 20s as a youth coach with Maccabi Brussels before moving on to Anderlecht, where he worked in their academy for several years.
Ouahbi has earned the chance to take Morocco to the World Cup after successful spells with the national team’s under-20 and under-23 sides, including an Under-20 World Cup triumph last year.
What does Scotland need to do to qualify?
There is a very obvious option: Scotland goes on to win their next two games.
Bringing the optimism down a little, another win on top of the Haiti triumph would also guarantee qualification and likely see the Scots finishing second, should Brazil beat Haiti and then beat the Scots.
A tough test, however, awaits against Morocco on Friday, but avoiding defeat in that game could see Scotland all but qualify before even facing Brazil. Two draws in the next two would also likely be enough to qualify.
Morocco shared their spoils with the Brazilians in a 1-1 draw last weekend.
If Scotland were to get just three points in the group, they would finish on a negative goal difference.
That could be enough to get into the next round, but would likely see them finish third, as eight of the best third-placed teams go through.
Currently, there are 14 other teams on three points after one game, including England, Argentina, France and Norway.
Goal difference would become key, and if Scotland were to ship a few against Morocco and Brazil, that could put qualification in doubt.
How to watch Scotland vs Morocco on STV
A total of 29 live group stage matches will air on STV and STV Player throughout the month, including Scotland v Morocco on June 19.
The game kicks off at 11pm UK time, with coverage starting at 10pm.
STV’s tournament coverage will be led by main presenters Mark Pougatch, Laura Woods and Semra Hunter, with expert analysis from pundits including Duncan Ferguson, Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Ian Wright.
Ally McCoist also joins STV’s coverage as part of the commentary team.
Following every step of the group stage journey on the ground in the US will be STV News presenters Raman Bhardwaj, Ronnie Charters and Chris Harvey, with regular daily updates.
Highlights of every World Cup game will be available to stream ad-free on the STV Player soon after each match has concluded.
Ronnie will be joined by The STV Radio Football Show’s Callum Bell for six special episodes of the hit visual podcast airing throughout the group stages, with co-host Ewen Cameron joining the lads from STV HQ in Glasgow. The podcast episodes will drop before and after each of Scotland’s matches and will be available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and STV Player.
Ewen’s STV Radio breakfast show co-host Cat Harvey will be joining the Tartan Army in the US to capture the excitement of the most passionate fans on earth, with updates on Ewen and Cat at Breakfast and across other STV Radio shows. The station will also air dedicated hourly World Cup bulletins to keep listeners up to date with all the latest tournament news.
Plus, STV Radio will play all the biggest Scotland anthems throughout the month to celebrate the national team’s historic return to the tournament – with many personally selected by famous Scots.
Scotland’s final group match against Brazil on June 24 will be broadcast on BBC Scotland.
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
