Scotland captain Andy Robertson said he would carry the memory of former Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota with him at the World Cup after receiving an emotional letter from the late Portuguese forward’s widow, Rute Cardoso.

After Scotland secured qualification for the World Cup in November, Robertson revealed that one of his first thoughts was of Jota, who died at the age of 28 in a car accident in July.

On Monday, as part of FIFA’s Letters That Unite campaign, Robertson shared a message from Cardoso reflecting on the bond the two players forged during their time together at Liverpool.

“Diogo often spoke of you, of the friendship you built, the battles you fought together, the challenges, the laughter, the conversations about football and about dreams,” Cardoso wrote.

“The World Cup was one of those dreams, a dream that the two of you nurtured side by side with the same passion with which you took to the pitch.

“When I heard your words and learnt what you felt on that day when Scotland qualified for the World Cup after so many years of waiting, I realised that Diogo never truly left the pitch.

“By achieving that moment and securing your place at the World Cup, you won’t be going alone; you’ll be taking his dream with you too.”

The letter left a deep impression on Robertson, who said Jota would be at the forefront of his thoughts when he leads Scotland at their first World Cup in 28 years.

“I’m not only playing for me, I’m playing for both of us,” Robertson said.

Scotland begins its Group C campaign against Haiti in Boston on June 13 before facing Morocco and Brazil.

Published on Jun 09, 2026