Robertson receives emotional letter from Diogo Jota's widow before the World Cup

Scotland captain Andy Robertson said he will also compete in the World Cup in honor of his former Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota, after receiving a letter from the Portuguese striker's widow before the start of the tournament.

After Scotland secured qualification for the World Cup in November, Robertson revealed his thoughts immediately turned to Jota, who died aged 28 in a car crash in July last year.

This Monday (8), the Scottish defender shared a message sent by Rute Cardoso as part of the "Letters That Unite" initiative, promoted by FIFA.

In the letter, Rute recalled the friendship built between the two players during the years they played together.

"Diogo often spoke about you, about the friendship you built, the battles you faced together, the challenges, the laughs and the conversations about football and dreams", said the text.

The attacker's widow also highlighted that competing in a World Cup was one of the goals shared by the two athletes.

"The World Cup was one of those dreams, a dream that you cultivated side by side, with the same passion with which you entered the field."

Rute stated that she was moved to hear Robertson's statements after Scotland qualified for the World Cup, ending a long wait for the team to return to the tournament.

"When I heard your words and knew what you felt that day when Scotland qualified for the World Cup after so many years of waiting, I realized that Diogo never truly left the field."

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She concluded by saying that Robertson's presence at the World Cup will also represent the fulfillment of the former Portuguese striker's dream.

"By living this moment and securing your place at the World Cup, you won't be going alone; you'll be taking his dream with you."

After reading the message, Robertson said Jota will be constantly in his thoughts as he leads Scotland to their first World Cup appearance in 28 years.

"I won't just be playing for myself. I'll be playing for both of us", declared the captain.

Scotland debuts in Group C of the World Cup against Haiti, in Boston, on June 13th. Afterwards, the team will face Morocco and Brazil in the group stage.

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Source: CNN