WORLD CUP DAY 3 SUMMARY: Scotland defeats Haiti, tornado warning issued, Brazil escapes a close call, VAR controversy arises, and two individuals face charges for England's kit theft
Scotland celebrated a victorious evening (Image: FIFA via Getty Images)
Scotland began their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 win, as John McGinn's first-half goal secured the victory over Haiti
The Tartan Army now lead Group C after achieving their first World Cup win in 36 years, with the Aston Villa midfielder setting new records along the way. This unfolded during a dramatic third day of the tournament.
A tornado threat emerged, five-time world champions Brazil narrowly avoided a major upset, a VAR controversy surfaced as the technology malfunctioned again, and two men were charged in connection with the theft of England's kit. Here's our recap of all the key developments from day three of the World Cup.
John McGinn celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the 2026 World Cup (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
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Scotland milestone
Boston hosted Scotland's first World Cup match since 1998, and the Scots shook off any early nerves as Ben Gannon-Doak and Scott McTominay posed threats, with the Napoli midfielder hitting the post with a powerful shot, before Haiti, ranked 83rd by FIFA, began to find their footing.
Angus Gunn was fortunate when he spilled a shot, and Grant Hanley's outstretched leg denied Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor.
The tension, anxiety, and nervousness would have been palpable as the tournament buildup intensified, but relief would have swept over when 31-year-old McGinn's strike found the net via a deflection.
Che Adams saw his attempt expertly saved in the build-up after linking with winger Gannon-Doak, but Haiti captain Johny Placide denied the striker from close range. Yet moments later, he was retrieving the ball from his net after McGinn's shot into the ground was redirected toward goal.
John McGinn made history (Image: Billy Myers/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)
The Villa captain, who became Scotland's oldest World Cup goalscorer at 31 years, 238 days, surpassing the legendary Sir Kenny Dalglish (31 years and 103 days), who had held the record since his goal against New Zealand in 1982, reports the Mirror.
McGinn could not contain his joy and spoke passionately about seeing supporters and Scottish youngsters wearing the iconic jersey in local parks across Massachusetts before the match.
He said: "It wasn't my best goal, who cares. Look at this man, absolutely unbelievable. Haiti are a good team, they played New Zealand and Peru off the pitch, it was a must-win game and we won."
Two charged over England theft
England's World Cup camp has been shaken by theft (Image: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)
England's preparations for this World Cup have been far from smooth.
A tropical Florida thunderstorm delayed their final warm-up match against Costa Rica by an hour, and after arriving in Kansas City, the Three Lions' kit and equipment were stolen.
Two men have now been charged with receiving stolen property in connection with the stolen England kit and gear. Mustafa Salik and Erfan Kamal each face one count of the Class D felony, under Missouri law.
The stolen items were valued at around $18,000 (Β£13,000). Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said: "Jackson County will not tolerate any criminal activity that targets World Cup visitors, including the international teams that have travelled here to compete.
"We thank the Kansas City Police Department and our on-call attorneys for their quick work investigating this incident and filing charges immediately. Our office is committed to holding these individuals accountable."
It was later alleged that the recovered items included four pairs of boots valued at Β£250 each, along with five pairs of shoes totalling $1,139.50.
England players advised to take shelter
Extreme weather conditions hit Kansas (Image: AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)
England players were told to take cover indoors after a tornado warning was issued in Kansas City.
During the clash between Scotland and Haiti, alerts were sent to residents in the area about winds reaching up to 80 miles per hour, with the danger of flying debris emphasized. The severe thunderstorm warning issued at approximately 8pm was upgraded to a 'Tornado Watch' about 30 minutes later.
The conditions were so extreme that local residents lost electricity, though the worst weather was reported to have moved through on Saturday evening, allowing England's Sunday preparations to go ahead.
Journalists on site turned to social media to report the latest bout of adverse weather affecting the Three Lions across the Atlantic. For viewers following their Scottish counterparts against Haiti, Fox's coverage reduced the match to a small portion of the screen as an emergency weather bulletin was broadcast.
VAR controversy
The incident was reviewed but the penalty was eventually awarded (Image: Getty Images)
FIFA has confirmed that a technical glitch affected VAR, leading to Switzerland's contentious opening goal against Qatar.
The football governing body released a statement acknowledging that the technology failed, resulting in an oversight of Remo Freuler, who was initially offside, being fouled by Qatar goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada.
Breel Embolo stepped up and converted the penalty, putting the Swiss on the verge of victory until they conceded a stoppage-time equalizer to Boualem Khoukhi.
In their statement, FIFA explained: "During the Qatar vs. Switzerland match in the San Francisco Bay Area, a brief technical outage prevented the onside animation graphic from being generated ahead of the penalty awarded to Switzerland in the 14th minute. The issue was quickly resolved.
"The workflow of the VAR was not affected by this issue and followed the normal procedure in checking the on-field decision. The lines used by the VAR to check the position of the relevant players did not show the attacking player to be in an offside position in either of the two situations immediately before the penalty decision."
Brazil survives scare as Casemiro substituted
Casemiro had a World Cup opener to forget as Brazil avoided embarrassment. (Image: Getty Images)
Brazil kept their streak of never losing an opening World Cup match since 1934, thanks to a stunning strike from Vinicius Jr.
But Carlo Ancelotti will have Real Madrid to thank for rescuing their reputation against Africa Cup of Nations champions Morocco. The Lions de l'Atlas controlled the opening period against the tournament record holders and claimed their well-deserved opener through Ismael Saibari.
Brahim Diaz sliced through Brazil's defense with a through ball before the PSV Eindhoven forward chipped the ball over a helpless Alisson Becker.
Vinicius Jr skipped past Achraf Hakimi before cutting onto his favored left foot and drilling home the equalizer. The match ended 1-1, with Scotland's narrow victory over Haiti propelling them to the top of the group.
However, it was a particularly sobering evening for former Manchester United midfielder Casemiro, who, despite an impressive last season at Old Trafford, was humiliated by being substituted at half-time.
Brazil's midfield appeared sluggish, and the 34-year-old was overwhelmed by Morocco's midfield, especially 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi, who earned widespread praise for his performance.
The United legend was slow on the ball, winning only two of his eight ground duels, while his overall contribution in the middle of the park hindered Ancelotti's team. A first-half booking added to a difficult outing in New York, and the former Real Madrid man was pulled at the interval.
Fortunately for Brazil, Liverpool star Alisson made several outstanding late saves to spare their embarrassment.