Haiti and Scotland meet in their opening FIFA World Cup 2026 match on 13 June at Boston Stadium, with both teams eager to get the win in a tough Group C.
For Haiti, the tournament marks a historic return to football's biggest stage. The Caribbean nation is appearing at the World Cup for the first time in 52 years.
Most notably, their journey to the tournament comes under difficult circumstances, with severe domestic security concerns forcing them to play all of their home fixtures around 500 miles away in Curaçao during qualification.
Les Grenadiers arrive at the World Cup in mixed form in their recent matches. They recorded an impressive 4-0 victory over New Zealand just over a week ago before suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat to Peru in their final warm-up game.
Scotland, meanwhile, are making their ninth World Cup appearance.
Steve Clarke's side endured back-to-back 1-0 friendly defeats against Japan and Ivory Coast in March, but they have responded well in recent weeks.
A 4-1 win over Curaçao was followed by a convincing 4-0 victory against Bolivia, giving the Scots confidence heading into the tournament.
Both teams face a difficult challenge in Group C, which also includes South American giants Brazil and AFCON champs Morocco.
Who Is the Referee For Haiti vs Scotland?
FIFA has appointed Algerian official Mustapha Ghorbal as the referee for the match between Haiti and Scotland on 13 June.
Ghorbal will be assisted by fellow Algerians Mokrane Gourari and Abbes Akram Zerhouni. Spain's Alejandro Hernández will serve as the fourth official, while Saudi Arabia's Abdullah Dhafer has been assigned as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
Photo by Mohamed Tageldin / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images
The full officiating team for the match is:
- Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)
- Assistant Referee 1: Mokrane Gourari (Algeria)
- Assistant Referee 2: Abbes Akram Zerhouni (Algeria)
- Fourth Official: Alejandro Hernández (Spain)
- Video Assistant Referee (VAR): Abdullah Dhafer (Saudi Arabia)
Ghorbal, 40, has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2014 and is officiating at his second consecutive World Cup tournament. He was in charge of two group-stage matches during the 2022 FIFA World Cup and has regularly handled major international fixtures over the past decade.
Earlier this year, he also officiated the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final between Egypt and Ivory Coast.
