Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland in Boston

Image source, Getty Images

It's widely accepted Clarke will go with a rarely used 4-4-2, but one which worked so well in the 4-0 win over Bolivia last week. But that was a game which had John McGinn on the bench.

"I don't think we need to start John in the first game if I'm being honest," said Rangers manager and former Scotland international Leanne Crichton.

"I think he would be absolutely but I'm trying to think back to the Euros in terms of John and his output. I felt he was tired at that tournament."

"I felt it was a long season. I'm looking at the output over the last number of months in terms of the European campaign at Villa, the travel associated with the injury that he had at the point in the season.

"Do we really need to use him for the start?"

Image source, Scott Kippen

While tens of thousands of Tartan Army supporters have already descended on Boston ahead of Scotland’s opening game, one fan is catching a last minute flight to join the action.

Scott Kippen, from Dumfries, left his house at 02:30 BST this morning to catch a flight from Edinburgh Airport.

“I got the ticket at the price I wanted so I just booked it. You can always make more money, but can’t make more memories,” he told the BBC.

Scott will be in the USA for just 30 hours in total as he plans to head back to Scotland on Sunday straight after the game.

Scott said: “The fear of missing out would have been too much.”

Chris Sutton
Former England forward

We all know the importance of winning this game for Scotland in terms of them getting out of their group for the first time at a World Cup, but I would not under-estimate Haiti.

Any team on the journey they have been on, qualifying without being able to play at home, has got something about them.

Haiti have got Premier League experience from Wolves midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor, and they will not be sitting back and defending deep.

I still think Scotland will eke out the win, but how will Steve Clarke go about it? Lawrence Shankland will play up top but will he have a strike partner or will Clarke stick with an extra body in midfield? He might have to take a risk.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

AI's prediction: 0-2

Read more of Sutton's World Cup predictions here

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland in Boston

This is all just rather cool.

For so many of us, this is a day we never thought would come. Scotland are at the World Cup.

It’s goosebumps stuff now. All the stories we grew up on are about to come to life. Who would have thought it?

Scotland are back among the big time…

Jonathan Geddes
BBC Scotland

Local authorities in Scotland are getting in on the act backing the boys in Boston too.

East Renfrewshire Council re-named themselves East Robbo-shire Council in honour of Scotland's captain Andy Robertson - who comes from the area.

Image source, Getty Images

Scott McTominay's return to health was the key talking point in Scotland's pre-match news conference on Friday.

But manager Steve Clarke also confirmed that centre-back Scott McKenna, who has not trained this week, would miss the Haiti game with a calf issue but is expected to train on Monday.

Image source, Getty Images

Scotland head coach Steve Clarke said in his pre-match news conference that Scott McTominay was feeling "perfect and ready to go" for the World Cup opener against Haiti after recovering from an upset stomach.

The Napoli midfielder took part in training on Friday having missed out on Thursday due to a slight illness.

The 29-year-old travelled separately from the rest of the squad as a precaution after they arrived in Boston, alongside a doctor.

Although pleased McTominay is available, Clarke downplayed the significance of any one player to his side's chances.

"I've got 26 superstars here," he said. "To try to put so much on to one person is not fair.

"We've built everything we've done over the last seven years on the squad, the team, everyone being together and playing their part at certain times.

"We are delighted with Scott's abilities and what he can bring to the team. But we are going to need another 15 to bring the same if we want to have a positive tournament."

Image source, PA Media

A fundraising football fan has been met with cheers in Boston after completing a kilted trek across the US to Scotland's World Cup opening match.

Craig Ferguson, from Paisley in Renfrewshire, began his 3,000-mile charity walk in Los Angeles in February to raise £1m for Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH).

The 22-year-old, who also walked to the Euros in 2024, was greeted by crowds of supporters and members of the Tartan Army at Boston Common on Friday.

Ferguson had expected to miss his fundraising target, but was handed a £400,000 donation from the Scottish government on the final day of his four-month walk.

He said: "I've raised a million pounds, it's a dream come true.

"It's the stuff that dreams are made off."

Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland in Boston

So, I’m sure the Tartan Army are taking it easy, but if you’re heading out here and want a beer, dig deep into that pocket.

I managed one brief beer the other night after work and each of these in the famous Cheers bar costs $12 plus tip, and that generally seems the price across the board, so are £9. The cheapest I’ve heard is around $9.

Image source, Scott Mullen

Jonathan Geddes
BBC Scotland

Lucy McEwan is a 25-year-old teacher in Glasgow, who plays at amateur level with Linlithgow Rose.

"I think everybody's super, super excited. You can see the kids are so hyped up as well about it, " she says.

Lucy says she will be staying up for every game Scotland play, meaning her classes might have a bleary-eyed teacher on Thursday 25 June - the day after Scotland play Brazil in their final Group C match, with a 23:00 kick off.

Many pupils might have the same issues too.

Read more here.

Paul Barnes
BBC Scotland in Boston

It seems that plenty of Scotland fans here in Boston are still on BST.

Just been for a 6am stroll along the Charles River and there were dozens, if not hundreds, of dark blue shirted Scots doing the same.

Image source, Paul Barnes

Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland in Boston

Local TV station Boston TV News showing repeated reruns of all the goals from Scotland’s win over Denmark. They’ve also got Craig Burley on speaking.

The locals here really are buying into this being a huge deal for us.

Tom English
BBC Scotland chief sports writer in Boston

Sometime today, Steve Clarke is going to make the most important speech of his managerial life, a speech that a succession of Scotland managers over the last 28 largely painful years would have given anything to make.

What for so long had seemed like a pipe dream - as attainable as a lottery win - is now a reality staring Scotland in the face. After missing out on six World Cups in a row, and maybe surrendering to fatalism along the way, game day is upon us here in the United States.

You can read Tom English's scenesetter from Boston here

Matt Taylor
BBC Weather

It may be a cool and showery start to the weekend for some back home in Scotland, but for fans in Boston it's going to be a sultry Saturday.

Temperatures were actually higher for a time on Friday night than they were by day, with the mercury still sitting close to 28C/82F at 02:00 local time.

After a brief dip on Saturday morning, highs of 33C (91F) are likely by mid-afternoon.

Even by the time the match kicks off at 20:00 EST, there'll be a 'feels like' temperature still at 29C (84F) ...much hotter than a summer's day in Dunfermline!

Matt Taylor
BBC Weather

Whatever the scoreline later, fans on either side of the Atlantic will face a different feeling post-match journey home.

While fans in Boston will still be feeling the heat, 25 Celsius (77F) at 22:00 EST, for those in Scotland, a light to moderate breeze will add to the developing chill.

Temperatures in the cities will be hovering around 10 or 11C by 04:00 BST, but for those in the smaller rural villages, 6 or 7 degrees is much more likely.

Further rain showers are expected in the northern half of the country, too, but if the result goes Scotland's way... I doubt you'll care too much.

Image source, Getty Images

Steve Clarke is preparing to name a historic line-up: the first men's Scotland XI to feature at a World Cup in 28 years.

Following hugely encouraging warm-up displays against Curacao and Bolivia, will the head coach stick with the same front-footed 4-4-2 formula against Haiti?

That is the expectation of many, given the success of the system in the recent back-to-back four-goal wins and the need to get off to a positive start in Boston.

So do Lawrence Shankland and Che Adams have the front two spots nailed down? Will it be Ryan Christie, Lewis Ferguson or both in midfield? And who starts in goal?

Click here to select your starting XI, map out your tactics and deliver the pre-match team talk.