Rute Cardoso, widow of late Portugal forward Diogo Jota has urged Scotland captain Andrew Robertson to carry her husband’s World Cup dream onto football’s biggest stage, saying the Liverpool teammates shared the same ambition of playing at the tournament.
Cardoso made the emotional appeal in a letter FIFA published on Tuesday. She reflected on the friendship Jota and Robertson built during their time at Liverpool and praised the Scotland captain for continuing to honour her husband’s memory.
Jota died in a car crash in July at the age of 28 after helping Portugal qualify for the World Cup. Although he earned 49 caps for Portugal, injury prevented him from featuring at the 2022 tournament.
“The World Cup was one of those dreams,” Cardoso wrote. “By achieving that moment, you won’t be going alone. You’ll take his dream with you too. When you step onto the pitch, Diogo will be with you in your thoughts, your steps and your heart.”
She also thanked Robertson for transforming grief into strength and for ensuring Jota’s legacy continues to inspire those closest to him.
Robertson, who recently joined Tottenham Hotspur after leaving Liverpool, fought back tears while reading the letter in a FIFA video. He recalled thinking about Jota when Scotland secured qualification and said his former teammate remained at the forefront of his thoughts.
“I’ll carry him in my heart,” Robertson said. “He’ll be with me from the first game and, hopefully, beyond that. We remember him all the time. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, but we never forget him.”
The Scotland captain said he would draw strength from those memories throughout the tournament.
“I’m not only playing for myself,” he added. “I’m playing for both of us.”
