Haiti on the eve of history: Grenadiers ready for Scotland opener
Twenty-four hours before Haiti's opening Group C fixture, Les Grenadiers are in final preparation mode at their Port St. Lucie base camp. Coach Sébastien Migné has no injury concerns heading into Saturday's 9 p.m. ET kickoff against Scotland at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts — the first World Cup match Haiti has played in 52 years.
ESPN's predicted lineup places captain Johny Placide in goal behind a back four of Carlens Arcus, Ricardo Adé, Hannes Delcroix, and Martin Expérience. The midfield trio of Josué Casimir, Danley Jean-Jacques, and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde sits ahead of them, with Ruben Providence operating in an advanced role behind forwards Duckens Nazon and Wilson Isidor.
Scotland arrive with a significant late blow: Premier League midfielder Billy Gilmour has been ruled out of the tournament entirely, replaced in the squad by Manchester United's Tyler Fletcher. Striker Ché Adams is listed as a doubt.
Off the pitch, FIFA forced a last-minute change to Haiti's home kit after ruling that its original design — depicting a scene from Haiti's war of independence — violated regulations on political speech. Manufacturer Saeta confirmed the revision was implemented in collaboration with the FHF. The shirts remain a talking point among diaspora supporters gathering in Boston ahead of kickoff.
Algeria's Mustapha Gorbal will referee the match.