Scotland enter this Group C opener as clear and decisive favourites. The gap in FIFA rankings (36 vs 84) understates the quality chasm: Scotland topped UEFA qualifying Group C ahead of Denmark, Greece and Belarus — scoring 13 goals in 6 games and beating Denmark 4-2 in the decisive finale. Their pre-WC camp has been superb — a 4-0 thumping of Bolivia in Harrison, NJ has Clarke facing "fantastic selection problems." Key concern: Billy Gilmour ruled out with a knee injury vs Curaçao. However, McTominay (Napoli), Robertson (Liverpool), McGinn (Aston Villa) and Ben Doak (Bournemouth) provide elite Premier League/Serie A firepower. Haiti return to the World Cup after 52 years — an emotional, historic moment. Coach Migné has navigated truly extraordinary circumstances: playing ALL home qualifiers away from Haiti due to gang violence, key players (Bellegarde hamstring, Pierrot meniscus, Delcroix adductor) recovering from injury, and striker Nazon literally fleeing war-torn Tehran via car across Iran. Haiti beat New Zealand 4-0 in a recent friendly, showing spirit — but Scotland's structure, set-piece threat and individual quality should prove decisive. Models: Scotland −200 / 61.5% win probability. Our pick: Scotland 2–0. Clean sheet possible given Haiti's inconsistent scoring record vs quality opposition.