Scotland captain Andy Robertson says he will carry the memory of former Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota with him throughout the World Cup after receiving an emotional letter from the Portuguese forward’s widow.
Jota died in a car accident last July at the age of 28. He had helped Portugal qualify for the tournament in North America but never played at a World Cup due to injury in 2022 and his death before the 2026 finals. In a letter published by FIFA, Jota’s widow Rute Cardoso thanked Robertson for keeping her husband’s memory alive. She urged him to fulfil a dream they had often discussed, writing that the World Cup was something they both wanted to experience with the same passion. Robertson, who was filmed reading the letter, said the message would stay with him. “I’ll carry him in my heart,” he said. “I’m not only playing for myself. I’m playing for both of us.” Scotland are preparing for their first World Cup appearance since 1998. Steve Clarke’s side begin their Group C campaign against Haiti before facing Morocco and Brazil.
