Andy Robertson, captain of Scotland's national team, received a letter from Rute Cardoso, the widow of late Portuguese forward Diogo Jota, as part of FIFA's "Letters That Unite" campaign on June 9, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Jota, who died in a car accident in July 2025 aged 28, was a close friend and former Liverpool teammate of Robertson [1, 5, 2, 3, 4].
Robertson said, "I'm not only just playing for me, I'm playing for both of us," reflecting the bond they shared and the unfulfilled dream Jota had of playing at a World Cup [1]. Jota missed the previous World Cup due to injury and then passed away before having a chance to appear at the tournament [1, 5].
Scotland qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in November 2025, their first appearance at the tournament in 28 years [1, 5, 2, 3, 4]. Robertson hailed the qualification day as a moment when Jota "never truly left the pitch" and vowed to carry his friend's dream with him on the field [1, 5]. Cardoso wrote in her letter, "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" [1, 5, 2, 4].
Since leaving Liverpool, Robertson joined Tottenham Hotspur during the 2026 summer transfer window [5, 2, 4]. Scotland will compete in Group C alongside Haiti, Morocco, and Brazil in the World Cup scheduled from June 13 to July 19, 2026 [1, 5, 3, 4]. Robertson emphasized, "That letter will stay with me for a very long time. And we’ve just got to carry him with us" [2].
Diogo Jota earned 49 caps for Portugal and helped them qualify for the 2026 World Cup before his death [5]. Scotland's next step is to face Haiti on June 13 in their opening group match, kicking off their World Cup campaign with Robertson and the team carrying the memory of Jota on the world stage [1, 5, 3, 4].
