Scotland’s first World Cup training session since 1998 kicked off in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it delivered exactly the kind of pre-match energy you’d want to see heading into a Group C opener against Haiti. The heat and humidity ? Brutal. The mood ? Sharp, focused, and surprisingly relaxed given the magnitude of what’s coming.
Scotland’s last training run before the Haiti clash
The session at the Atrium Health Performance Park in Charlotte started around 15 :22 BST, and the setup alone tells you Steve Clarke means business. The facility is genuinely top-tier, and it’s no accident Scotland ended up here. Clarke’s connection to Charlotte FC coach Dean Smith (his old Aston Villa contact), assistant Gary Dicker (a former Kilmarnock player under Clarke), and technical director Tommy Wilson (Clarke’s ex-St Mirren teammate) helped seal the deal. Sometimes it really is about who you know.
The one notable absence : Scott McTominay, sidelined with an upset stomach. The BBC’s Jane Lewis confirmed it’s nothing serious, but it’s still not ideal preparation 24 hours before a World Cup opener. Scott McKenna, on the other hand, was present and taking part. Captain Andrew Robertson was moving freely, chatting with teammates, and looking sharp. John Souttar, Robertson, and Jack Hendry all made the call to train in vests. In that Carolina heat, frankly, that’s just smart decision-making.
The humidity was the real talking point among the media on the ground. BBC Sport’s Amy Canavan admitted that a media vs Scotland staff game of nines the day before was like trying to run in a roasting sauna. If that’s what it feels like for journalists, imagine doing it at tournament pace. BBC pundit Micah Richards flagged exactly this : “How teams deal with the humidity is going to play a big part at this tournament, so the South American teams will be strong.”
Scotland’s base in Charlotte puts them roughly two hours by flight from both Boston and Miami, where they face Haiti and Morocco, then Brazil. Clarke has called the facilities the best possible environment for his squad. Given what happened at Euro 2024, when they shipped five goals to Germany on matchday one, getting the preparation right matters enormously this time around.
Group C context and the stakes for Scotland vs Haiti
Scotland find themselves in Group C alongside Brazil, Morocco and Haiti. On paper, Haiti are the most winnable game of the group. But Clarke isn’t treating it that way, and he’s right not to. His message to the squad was direct : start on the front foot. That 5-1 defeat to Germany at Euro 2024 clearly still stings. “We have to remember how bad that felt,” he said. “This time, we make sure we start differently.”
Midfielder John McGinn, who didn’t start the 4-0 win over Bolivia in the final warm-up last Saturday, spoke to the media before the squad travelled east to Boston. His inclusion against Haiti is a genuine selection headache for Clarke. You can’t leave McGinn out. But somebody has to make way, and that conundrum is exactly the kind of problem a coach wants heading into a tournament opener.
| Group C team | Opening fixture | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | vs Haiti | Boston |
| Scotland | vs Morocco | Boston |
| Scotland | vs Brazil | Miami |
| Mexico | vs South Africa (20 :00 BST) | Mexico City |
The tournament itself kicked off on June 11 with Mexico hosting South Africa at 20 :00 BST in Mexico City, followed by South Korea vs Czech Republic at 03 :00 BST on Friday. Scotland supporters watching from the UK should also note the updated pub licensing rules : pubs can stay open until 01 :00 BST for Scotland or England games kicking off between 17 :00 and 21 :00, and until 02 :00 for later kick-offs. Prime Minister Keir Starmer made the call to ease restrictions, with Communities Secretary Steve Reed urging councils to process applications without delay.
The human story behind Scotland’s World Cup return
Seven Scotland squad members, including Aaron Hickey, Lewis Ferguson, and Nathan Patterson, were born after 1998, the last time Scotland appeared at a World Cup. They grew up watching the likes of James McFadden and Darren Fletcher fall just short. Now they get their shot. That generational weight is real.
Fan Jim Stewart, 69, from Edinburgh, has followed Scotland since a 1-0 defeat to England at Hampden in 1972, when he was just 15. His first World Cup was Spain 1982, when he and eight friends drove a tartan-wallpapered campervan to Malaga. He was also on the Wembley pitch in 1977 after the famous 2-1 win over England. “My dad’s got a bit of Wembley turf in his garden somewhere still,” he said.
The emotional centrepiece of the day, though, came from a different source entirely. Rute Cardoso, mother of Diogo Jota’s three children, published a letter to Andrew Robertson through FIFA. The letter read, in part : “When you step on to the pitch, I know it won’t just be you walking out. Diogo will be with you in your thoughts, in your steps, in your heart.” Robertson’s public grief after Jota’s death clearly touched the Liverpool forward’s family deeply.
- Robertson moving well and in good spirits at training
- McTominay absent with a stomach issue, expected to recover
- McKenna present and participating in the session
- McGinn’s starting place still uncertain for the Haiti opener
- Clarke’s key message : don’t repeat the slow Euro 2024 start
For a nation that has waited 28 years to return to this stage, every detail of this buildup carries weight. Training in Charlotte, flying to Boston, walking out against Haiti : Scotland aren’t just attending a World Cup. They’re reclaiming something that felt lost for nearly three decades.
