Steve Clarke made two adjustments to his starting line-up for Scotland’s second Group C encounter at World Cup 2026.

Striker Lawrence Shankland was dropped to the bench as Clarke decided to field a lone striker against Morocco, unlike the two-forward setup used in Scotland’s victory over Haiti.

Winger Ben Gannon-Doak was also held in reserve to maintain a compact shape. Despite the buoyant pre-match mood in Massachusetts, where fans dreamed of Scotland progressing beyond the group stage for the first time, Clarke would have been more than satisfied with a draw.

However, it took just 71 seconds for Morocco to dismantle those plans completely.

Ismael Saibari, who is reportedly close to joining Bayern Munich, capitalised on Scotland’s disorganised defence and drilled the ball past Angus Gunn, scoring his second superb goal of the tournament.

Saibari’s goal, registered at one minute and 11 seconds, now stands as the fastest strike of the 2026 World Cup so far.

Before this, Joao Neves (for Portugal against Cape Verde), Michael Sadilek (for Czechia against South Korea), and Felix Nmecha (for Germany against Curacao) had all found the net in the sixth minute of their respective group-stage games. Saibari, however, became the first player to score inside the opening five minutes of a match.

Other quick starters included Yasin Ayari of Sweden, Elijah Just of New Zealand, and Julian Quinones of Mexico, each scoring within the first 10 minutes of their opening fixtures. Paraguay’s Damian Bobadilla also scored early — though unfortunately, it was an own goal.

For Scotland’s devoted supporters, Boston has quickly turned into a second home. The team has played both of its opening fixtures at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough and even delighted fans with an appearance at Fenway Park in between matches.

Despite the disastrous start to their second game, Scotland’s campaign is far from over. The team has overcome worse challenges in the past, and advancing beyond the group stage remains within their reach.

Still, Clarke’s men must improve their attacking output. Following a sluggish offensive display against Haiti, they will need to create more scoring opportunities if they hope to secure a place in the round of 32.

After conceding within just over a minute against Morocco, Scotland cannot afford another slow start. Their hopes of progressing from Group C now depend on rediscovering their sharpness in front of goal.

Can Scotland still escape Group C despite conceding the quickest goal of the World Cup so far? Share your thoughts below.