Scotland’s captain, Andrew Robertson, shared that he was emotional leading up to his team’s triumphant World Cup qualifier against Denmark, reflecting on the dreams he and his late former Liverpool teammate, Diogo Jota, had of competing in such a tournament.
With a 4-2 victory over Denmark in Glasgow, Scotland secured their spot in the 2026 World Cup—their first appearance since 1998. Goals were scored by Scott McTominay, Lawrence Shankland, Kieran Tierney, and Kenny McLean as they celebrated a thrilling win.
However, Robertson, now 31, acknowledged that the joy of Scotland’s qualification was overshadowed by sadness due to Jota’s tragic death in a car accident alongside his brother, André Silva, last July.
“I think I’ve managed to conceal it well, but I’ve been quite emotional,” Robertson told BBC Scotland.
“With my age, this is likely my last chance at a World Cup, and I couldn’t stop thinking about my friend Diogo today.
“We often talked about what it would be like to participate in the World Cup. He missed out on Qatar [2022] due to injury, and until now, I never made it either.
“We always envisioned what it would be like to attend this World Cup together, but I know he’s watching over me tonight.”
“He was on my mind constantly today, which made things a bit challenging in my room before the game.
“I think I disguised my emotions well among the lads, but I’m just so thankful it turned out this way.”
Since joining Liverpool from Hull City in 2017, Robertson has achieved remarkable success, winning two Premier League titles, a Champions League, and trophies in the FA Cup and EFL Cup.
Yet, he described Scotland’s victory over Denmark as one of the “greatest nights of my life.”
“This group of players and staff is simply the best I’ve ever been part of. The speech by our manager, Steve Clarke, before the match was phenomenal,” Robertson stated.
“He reminded us of the memories we’ve created and encouraged us to make another one. We all felt quite emotional, and achieving this for everyone will be remembered as one of my finest nights.”
“We keep pushing until the final whistle. It was one of the most thrilling matches I’ve been part of; we certainly put the nation through the wringer, but I believe it was all worth it because we’re heading to the World Cup, which feels unbelievable.”