Haiti coach: we must be proud of our historic performance against Scotland despite the loss

Sébastien Migné, the Haiti national team coach, emphasized that his players should feel proud of their performance against Scotland, despite the 1-0 loss in their opening match of Group C in the 2026 World Cup.

Following the match, Migné told Reuters that his side displayed strong character and competed until the final whistle, stressing the importance of maintaining faith in their ability to reach the knockout stages, despite the disappointing result.

The match held special significance for Haiti, marking their first World Cup appearance since 1974—a 52-year absence from the world’s biggest football stage. While Haiti previously participated in the 1974 West Germany tournament, this current generation played their first-ever World Cup match as the Caribbean nation returned to the tournament for only the second time.

Migné noted that his team is accustomed to overcoming adversity, citing their qualification journey, which wasn’t secured until the final round. He affirmed that the group remains wide open, despite facing formidable opponents like Brazil and Morocco alongside Scotland.

Haiti conceded a first-half goal to Scotland’s John McGinn, but they pushed hard in the closing minutes and nearly found an equalizer, demonstrating their ability to go toe-to-toe with a more experienced international side.

Haiti faces an even tougher challenge in the next round when they meet Brazil, before concluding their group stage against Morocco.

Featured image via Justin Setterfield/Getty Images