Andy Robertson on Diogo Jota and World Cup 2026: “I’m not just playing for me; I’m playing for both of us” | OneFootball

As part of FIFA.com’s “Letters that Unite” series, Scotland captain Andy Robertson has shared and reacted to a touching letter sent to him by Diogo Jota’s widow Rute Cardoso.

Robertson and Diogo Jota were more than just Liverpool teammates. An example of the depth of the friendship came at the moment Scotland clinched qualification for the World Cup by beating Denmark in a thrilling match in November last year.

It was the first time Scotland had reached a World Cup for 28 years, yet in the post-match interview on the pitch Robertson explained that he had been thinking the whole time about his Portuguese friend: “I couldn’t get my mate Diogo Jota out of my head today.”

The gesture was not lost on Rute Cardoso, who wrote a moving letter to Robertson expressing her gratitude for remembering Jota, the letter now made public:

“Andy I’m writing to you with a heart full of longing gratitude and above all pride. 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. 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. And when you step onto the pitch, I know it won’t be just you walking out; Diogo will be with you in your thoughts, in your steps, in your heart.

So, today I want to thank you. Thank you for not forgetting him. Thank you for taking him with you. Thank you for turning the pain of loss into strength and into something so beautiful. That’s how we do it here at home too, every day. He would be and is incredibly proud of you.

Cherish that dream, Andy. Live it for yourself and for him.

Andy Robertson in turn responded to the letter in a video released today by FIFA and available for viewing on YouTube.

“It’s obviously amazing of Rute to even take the time, for what she’s going through, to write me a letter, but it just sums up the person that she is,” said Robertson.

“The 2022 World Cup was when me and Jots really became close. He missed out because of injury. Obviously, Scotland never qualified. We spoke so much about what it would mean to us both to be at the next World Cup, and that was the aim for both of us, to get to America.

“He’s always there. The memories are always there. Going into a tournament which is full of emotion, I know he’ll be right at the front of my mind.

“I’m not just playing for me; I’m playing for both of us.”