Scotland marks 28-year World Cup absence with 1-0 victory over Haiti in Group C

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Coach Steve Clarke made it clear he didn't enjoy his first two experiences leading Scotland during lackluster showings in the European Championship.

So far the sport's biggest stage has brought him — and the Scots — a lot more luck.

John McGinn deflected a shot off an opposing defender and past goalkeeper Johny Placide in the 28th minute, and Scotland defeated Haiti 1-0 in Group C of the World Cup on Saturday.

“When it went into the back of the net, you could feel the Scotland fans,” McGinn said.

Scotland, making its first appearance in the tournament since 1998, earned its first World Cup victory since 1990, when it beat Sweden 2-1.

“We came here to get three points. We did and now we move on,” Scotland midfielder Lewis Ferguson said.

Getting those crucial points did a lot more than that.

Group favorites Brazil and Morocco played to a 1-1 draw earlier in the day, putting Scotland at the top of the group standings.

“We obviously have a little less pressure than everyone put on us in this game," Clarke said. “They deserve to be the team that finally got in under their belt in the World Cup.”

Haiti, whose only other World Cup appearance was in West Germany in 1974, is still in search of its first World Cup point. The Grenadiers had multiple chances in the second half but couldn't quite equalize.

"We’re playing at an extremely high level. But you can get punished with one oversight,” Haiti coach Sébastien Migné said.

McGinn’s goal came off a rebound from Che Adams’ miss in the box that bounced off Placide and into open space. McGinn’s shot ricocheted off a defender from 13 yards out.

Scotland’s Tartan Army supporters were out in mass, creating a wave of red inside a filled in Gillette Stadium, located about 30 miles outside Boston.

Scotland came close to a goal in the 17th minute when captain Scott McTominay got loose and fired a shot that clipped the top of the post.

Haiti had its best opportunities in the second half. In the 74th minute, Ruben Providence sent a cross in to Wilson Isidor, but the forward came up empty on his attempt to direct the ball in.

Then in the 84th, Frantzdy Pierrot, who moved from Haiti to Boston at the age of 11, hit a header that went a wide of the left side.

Scotland stays in town to play Morocco at Gillette Stadium on Friday. Haiti will next face Brazil on Friday in Philadelphia.

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Scotland fans celebrate a win following the World Cup Group C soccer match between Haiti and Scotland in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Charlie Krupa)

Scotland's John McGinn (7) celebrates a win following the World Cup Group C soccer match between Haiti and Scotland in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Charlie Krupa)

Haiti's Jean-Ricner Bellegarde (10) battles for the ball with Scotland's John McGinn (7) during the World Cup Group C soccer match between Haiti and Scotland in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Scotland's John McGinn (7) celebrates with teammate's Aaron Hickey (2) and Lewis Ferguson (19) after scoring his teams first goal during the World Cup Group C soccer match between Haiti and Scotland in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Scotland's John McGinn (7) celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the World Cup Group C soccer match between Haiti and Scotland in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Scotland's John McGinn (7) celebrates with teammate's Aaron Hickey (2) and Lewis Ferguson (19) after scoring his teams first goal during the World Cup Group C soccer match between Haiti and Scotland in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

GENEVA (AP) — Voters in Switzerland are casting final ballots Sunday on an initiative championed by the top right-wing party to cap the rich Alpine country's population at 10 million.

The populist Swiss People's Party, which has the most seats in parliament, has stirred up and fostered anti-migration sentiment over the years, notably about an influx of workers from the neighboring European Union.

Critics call the bid a self-inflicted wound, saying the boom in migration over the last generation has brought foreign labor and skills to sectors such as healthcare, finance, pharmaceuticals, and technology. Some also worry the proposal, if approved, will weaken critical ties with Brussels. The EU is Switzerland’s top trading partner.

Recent polling from the gfs.bern agency suggested that it could be a close contest.

The Swiss People's Party put forward the “sustainability initiative” measure, saying Swiss infrastructure, housing, social programs, natural resources and way of life have been strained by demographic growth.

The federal government and Parliament oppose the idea.

Swiss democracy gives voters a direct say in policymaking through referendums typically held four times a year. Most ballots are cast through the mail, and in-person voting ends at noon local time on Sunday.

A “yes” vote would require the Swiss government to take action to cap the population by 2050.

If the population reaches 9.5 million before then, the government would be forced to restrict asylum, family reunification and residency permits, and may have to scrap Switzerland’s EU deal on the free movement of people.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has reported that Switzerland had a foreign-born population of 32% as of 2024, behind only Luxembourg and Australia among the group's 38 member countries.

International migration has long been a sensitive issue in Europe, as nations grapple with an aging population and increasing anti-foreigner sentiment. While that sentiment in other European countries centers on migrants from the developing world, most foreigners in Switzerland are Europeans.

Since Switzerland and the EU eased restrictions on citizens living and working across their borders in 2002, the Swiss population has grown by 23%, to 9.1 million as of the end of last year. Economic output has also increased, up 24% over the same period, government data show.

Swiss voters have repeatedly tackled the immigration issue over the last half-century. Only one such referendum — “Against mass immigration” in 2014 — narrowly passed, after campaigners stoked fears about overpopulation and rising numbers of Muslims in the country.

While many countries have limits on immigration, none has ever voted to limit its population, Swiss experts say.

A poster reading "Isolate ourselves from Europe? Certainly not now! - No to the SVP/UDC Chaos initiative" featuring images of President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, urging people to vote against the Swiss People's Party (SVP) referendum titled "No to a Switzerland with 10 million inhabitants" photographed in Lausanne, May 27, 2026. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone via AP)