Scotland are on the brink of a historic moment as Steve Clarke's side prepare to face Haiti in their opening Group C fixture at the FIFA World Cup — their first appearance at the tournament in 28 years.

For Scottish football fans, the question has long been whether their side can finally break through to the knockout rounds of a major competition. This match may offer the best chance yet.

Scotland's path to the tournament

Clarke's squad sealed automatic qualification thanks in large part to a memorable result against Denmark, dropping just one match throughout what had appeared to be a demanding group campaign.

In preparation for the World Cup, Scotland recorded a 4-1 comeback win over Curacao — a side that had finished above Haiti in the CONCACAF group stage — though the manner of the victory raised mild concerns. Scotland fell behind early and only turned the match around after Jurgen Locadia was sent off seven minutes before the interval.

A follow-up performance against Bolivia eased some of those worries. Scotland struck four times in the first half alone, putting in a dominant display that pointed to genuine attacking intent when the conditions were right.

Key players to watch

Scott McTominay of Napoli is expected to be central to Scotland's game plan in the middle of the park, with support from Aston Villa's John McGinn, Tottenham's new signing Andy Robertson, and Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland, who arrives in fine form.

Haiti — a dangerous opponent

Haiti should not be written off lightly. The Caribbean side were forced to conduct their entire qualification campaign away from home due to political instability at home, yet still navigated two separate group stages to reach the finals — their first appearance since 1974.

At their best, Haiti play with an intense pressing game and threaten on the counter-attack at pace, though they have shown defensive vulnerability on occasion. Wolves midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor give the Haitian setup genuine Premier League quality.

Both nations find themselves in one of the most competitive groups in the tournament, and this opening fixture is effectively a must-win for both sides. Scotland, though, are favoured to take all three points.

Score prediction: Haiti 0-2 Scotland