After Scotland’s dramatic 4-2 win over Denmark sealed their place at the 2026 World Cup, Andrew Robertson delivered an emotional post-match interview, paying heartfelt tribute to his late Liverpool teammate and close friend, Diogo Jota.
It was a landmark moment for Scottish football as they secured their first World Cup appearance in 28 years. Early goals from Scott McTominay and Lawrence Shankland were wiped out by Rasmus Hojlund’s penalty and Patrick Dorgu’s strike, but Scotland retook the lead in added time when Kieran Tierney produced a stunning curling finish.
Kenny McLean then fired in a long-range effort to seal the result, with Denmark—down to 10 men—desperately pushing for the equaliser that would have sent them through. Hampden Park erupted, and after the final whistle, captain Robertson spoke with deep emotion about Jota, who died alongside his brother Andre in a tragic road accident in Spain in July.
Robertson’s moving words about Jota
Speaking to BBC Sport, Robertson admitted he was overwhelmed before kick-off. He revealed he had been thinking constantly about Jota, recalling how they had often talked about reaching the 2026 World Cup together with Scotland and Portugal, especially after both had missed the 2022 tournament—Jota through injury and Robertson because Scotland didn’t qualify.
“I think I hid it well, but I’ve been in pieces today,” he said. “At my age, this was my last shot at a World Cup. I couldn’t get my mate Diogo out of my head. We always talked about playing in this World Cup. He missed Qatar through injury, and I missed it because we didn’t make it. We spoke about how special 2026 would be, and I know he’ll be smiling somewhere tonight.”
Robertson also reflected on the team’s journey and what next summer in North America means to him: “This group of players and staff is the best I’ve ever worked with. The manager’s pre-match speech was incredible—he reminded us of the big moments, qualifying for the Euros, the emotions we had… and he told us to make another memory tonight.
“We were all emotional. Doing this for him, the staff, and our families—this will forever be one of the greatest nights of my life.”
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