Scotland vs Haiti is already being framed by Scotland’s leaders

Scotland open their World Cup campaign against Haiti vs Scotland on 14 June 2026 at 01:00 UTC, and the loudest build-up has come from inside the camp rather than from the opposition. Andrew Robertson has described Scott McTominay as “the best player in the league”, while Danny Lennon has made the case that John McGinn is not in any real danger of missing out.

McTominay's club form is driving the praise

Robertson’s praise for McTominay is not just a throwaway line. He said McTominay made a tough move to Italy and has become the best player in the league, and the recent Napoli numbers do back up the point. McTominay has scored 2 goals in his last 5 Napoli matches, against Pisa and Cremonese, and he has played 455 minutes across those five games.

There is also a clearer consistency to his form than a one-off burst. His average rating across those last 5 Napoli matches is 7.24, which fits Robertson’s view that McTominay’s quality and mentality have both grown. On that evidence, Scotland are not just leaning on a big name, they are leaning on a midfielder arriving in proper club rhythm.

McGinn still looks nailed on

Lennon’s line on McGinn was even firmer. He said he would “bet my bottom dollar” that McGinn starts in Boston, and called McGinn, McTominay and Robertson “the stick-on starters” for Steve Clarke’s side. He also said McGinn never went back to the academy after first joining the ST Mirren senior group, a detail that underlines how quickly he was viewed as ready.

The form case is there too. McGinn has 2 goals and 2 assists in his last 5 Aston Villa matches, and Villa have won 3 of their last 5. That is enough to make Lennon’s position look pretty sensible. Scotland may have squad decisions to make around the edges, but McGinn does not look like one of them.

McTominay’s availability has been a minor worry after he travelled separately from the Scotland team bus in Boston and missed a training session with an upset stomach, but Kenny McLean has said everyone expects him to be fine. Billy Gilmour also visited the squad after being ruled out by injury in the pre-tournament friendly against Curacao, which adds to the sense of a camp that is still settling into the tournament week.

What stands out, though, is the hierarchy. Scotland’s opener is against Haiti, but the first real message from Boston is that Robertson, McTominay and McGinn remain the team’s established leaders. If McTominay starts and McGinn starts, it will be because the form and the reputation point in the same direction.