Duckens Nazon has lived a dozen lifetimes in the past few months. Haiti's all-time leading scorer—44 goals in 76 caps—is preparing to face Scotland at the World Cup, a nation he briefly called home during a six-month stint with St Mirren in 2019. But the road to football's biggest stage has been anything but ordinary.

For Nazon, the journey from Paisley to the World Cup has been a whirlwind of highs and life-threatening lows. The 32-year-old striker, who has played for 13 clubs across eight countries, recently escaped the escalating conflict in Iran, where he plays for Esteghlal. His evacuation was so harrowing that he credits a SIM card with saving his life.

"I watched bombs drop from 100 metres away," Nazon recalled on the BBC's Sacked in the Morning podcast. He was about to board a flight to Istanbul or Paris when the steward ordered everyone off—the war had begun. "Imagine you have your wife and your children by your side in that situation. If you're alone, you are more relaxed and decisions come easier and faster."

Thankfully, his wife and four children were safe in France, where Nazon was born. The striker eventually escaped through Azerbaijan, but not before a grueling 48-hour standoff at the border. "They refused me, sent me back to Iran," he said, describing the chaos that unfolded as Israeli-US strikes began.

Now, Nazon has his sights set on a different kind of drama: leading Haiti in their first World Cup match in 52 years. The group stage pits them against Scotland, Morocco, and Brazil—a brutal draw for a nation making its long-awaited return. For Nazon, facing Scotland carries special weight. His time at St Mirren was brief but memorable, and he's eager to show the country that took him in just what they missed.

"It's a full-circle moment," Nazon said. "I played in Paisley, and now I get to face them on the world stage. I want to make Haiti proud." With his remarkable journey from war-torn Iran to the World Cup spotlight, he's already done that—and the best may be yet to come.