When Duckens Nazon arrived at St Mirren on loan from Belgian side Sint-Truiden for the second half of the 2018-19 season, he quickly learned that Scottish football was a whole different beast. "I was not ready for this kind of aggression and fight," the Haitian forward admits, reflecting on a stint that saw him play 12 games and score twice for the Paisley club.

But it wasn't just the physicality that caught him off guard—it was the weather. "I remember one game we had sun, snow and rain," Nazon recalls with a mix of disbelief and humor. "After this, I was like, OK, I'm done." It's a sentiment many a footballer has shared while braving the unpredictable Scottish elements, but for Nazon, it became a defining memory of his time in the country.

Now, the 32-year-old—who also happens to be Haiti's all-time record scorer—is gearing up for a very different kind of challenge. When the 2026 World Cup rolls around, Nazon hopes to stun the nation he once called home as Haiti faces Scotland in Boston. Weather, at least, won't be an issue in North America this summer, but Nazon has other concerns on his mind.

"There is only one thing that starts to go in my brain—it's the ticket prices," he says, voicing worry about the cost of attending matches. "Hopefully this is not going to affect the crowd and people coming to the stadium, because we want this atmosphere. We want this energy around us. I'm looking forward to seeing Scottish people and Haitian people in the stadiums. This is going to be important."

Nazon's journey has been anything but ordinary. Off the pitch, he recently detailed a harrowing evacuation from Iran, where he plays his club football for Esteghlal. He describes watching bombs drop from just 100 metres away, and credits a SIM card with saving his life. It's a stark reminder of the challenges that can shadow even the most passionate football careers.

For now, though, Nazon's focus is on the pitch—and on proving that his time in Scotland, however brief, was just one chapter in a story that's far from over.