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Robertson vows to carry Jota's memory into World Cup
Scotland defender Andy Robertson will step onto the pitch at this year's World Cup with the spirit of his late Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota close by, after receiving an emotional letter from Jota's widow.
The bond between teammates
Jota and Robertson shared a dressing room at Liverpool from 2020 until 2025, forming a friendship built on shared ambitions-including the dream of playing at a World Cup. While Robertson helped Scotland end a 28-year wait for qualification last November, Jota never got the chance to represent Portugal on football's biggest stage.
The Portuguese forward, who earned 49 caps, missed the 2022 tournament due to a calf injury and tragically died in a car crash last July at the age of 28, shortly after Portugal secured their place in this year's competition.
A letter from Jota's family
In a heartfelt message published by FIFA, Rute Cardoso, the mother of Jota's three children, urged Robertson to carry her late husband's dream with him in France. She recalled how the two players had spoken often about their shared ambition, describing their bond as one forged through battles, laughter, and conversations about football.
"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."
Rute Cardoso, Jota's widow
Cardoso thanked Robertson for keeping Jota's memory alive, writing: "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."
Robertson's emotional response
Robertson was filmed by FIFA reading the letter, which he said would stay with him for a "very long time." The Tottenham defender, who left Liverpool at the end of last season, admitted he had been deeply affected by Jota's absence since Scotland's qualification.
"I couldn't get my mate Diogo Jota out of my head today. We spoke so much about going to the World Cup because he missed the last one with Portugal and I did with Scotland. I know he'll be smiling over me today."
Andy Robertson
Robertson added that he would carry Jota in his heart throughout the tournament, which begins on 11 June. "I'm not only just playing for me. I'm playing for both of us," he said.
Scotland's World Cup campaign
Scotland, making their first World Cup appearance since 1998, open their Group C campaign against Haiti on 16 June, followed by matches against Morocco (19 June) and Brazil (24 June). Robertson, who has spoken openly about the emotional weight of the tournament, said Jota's memory would be at the forefront of his mind during every game.
The defender described their friendship as one filled with both laughter and tears, adding that the World Cup-a tournament steeped in emotion-would be no different.
