Hats off to Andy Robertson, not for Scotland's remarkable win for but his searing honesty

Scotland pulled off a remarkable win against Denmark this week to qualify for the World Cup, but the outstanding moment was the captain's love for his late team-mate

There were some astonishing stories from the recent rounds of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup but I’m not sure that any of them can top Scotland’s win against Denmark on Tuesday, and then the reaction from captain Andy Robertson. (Watch that clip).

“I couldn’t get my mate Diogo Jota out of my head today,” he said. “We spoke so much about the World Cup. He missed out in Qatar because of injury. I missed out because Scotland never went.

“We always discussed what it would be like going to this World Cup [in 2026].

“I know he’ll be somewhere smiling over me tonight. I just couldn’t get him out of my head the whole day.”

“I was in a bit of trouble in my room earlier, but I think I hid it well from the boys.

“I’m just so glad it ended this way [with qualification].”

Diogo Jota died on 3 July, aged 28, along with his brother, in a car crash.

I’m not sure why I found Robertson’s post-match interview so affecting. Probably because Jota’s death, and the effect it must have had on his Liverpool team-mates, is not something that anyone has addressed, so directly, and so emotionally.

Probably because I know that grief isn’t linear. And when you see it manifest so deeply in someone else, it resonates.

Anyway, there ends the shortest post I’ve ever done on Substack.

Well done, Andy Robertson.

Well done Scotland.

It’s good to talk.