Captain relives a night for the ages at Hampden and admits he's never been more emotional after a game.
05:00, 20 Nov 2025
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Andy Robertson celebrates Scotland getting their third goal
The Tartan Army anthem Freed From Desire pounded round Hampden with an energy that could have propelled every footsoldier across the Atlantic to the World Cup itself.
And centre stage - as the punters lost their minds in the stands - partied a group of Scotland players who had finally be released from their own deepest, strongest craving.
Andy Robertson, John McGinn, Grant Hanley, Kieran Tierney, Kenny McLean, Ryan Christie have all felt the pain of two, or for some three missed World Cups. Craig Gordon? Make that FIVE.
But in just six outrageous injury time minutes in Mount Florida on Tuesday night every bit of that agony was wiped away for good.
Denmark were downed. Hampden was hysterical. And Scotland are heading back to the World Cup. For Robertson it marked probably the most important milestone on his 90-cap journey in dark blue.
The 31-year-old said ahead of the qualifying campaign this was probably his last chance to make it to football’s greatest show on earth.
No wonder the captain was overcome at full time. He admitted the way they did it was “madness”.
He’s a Champions League and Premier League winner twice over. But there was something in this Scottish success story that took the Liverpool hero to a new level of ecstasy. Undoubtedly it was the pride Robertson has in his country.
But also the honour of doing it with a group of players and a manager who, together, have been on one hell of a ride.
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(Image: SNS Group)
Robertson said: “It’s the most emotional I've ever been after the game. It just shows everyone how much the country means to all of us.
“I think it meant everything to all of us and we believed it could be a special day. The whole feeling in the hotel … the manager said that at the pre-match meeting, we believed something special could happen.
“It was up to us to deliver and I thought from the first whistle we were excellent. Obviously, we got setbacks in the game, but we dealt with the setbacks so, so well.
“To top this group, I don't think most people in the country would have given us much chance, but we did believe that we could get it down to the last game.
“And to be able to produce a game like that is obviously madness, probably not good for the heart and things like that, for maybe our older fans, but what a way to go to the World Cup.
“The journey’s been incredible and I think it's very important that we don't lose that fact.
“When I first came into the squad, when John McGinn first came into the squad, when Kenny McLean came first into the squad, it was alien to us to qualify for tournaments.
“We obviously managed to do that through the Euros, which was a huge, huge deal.
“But to top the group in the World Cup, that is very difficult, especially the group we were in. You know, Greece, unbelievable team.
“Denmark, an unbelievable team. Belarus, probably the toughest pot four team you could have got. And for us to top that group and to go to the USA that is unbelievable.
“And I just hope that the country don't forget that fact, what these players have done, what the manager's done, what the staff behind the scenes have done.
“It's been an unbelievable effort over these last three months and we've got the reward for it.”
Robertson is too young to ever remember watching Scotland at a World Cup.
He would only have been four when Craig Brown took the nation to France ’98. But he knows what it means to the supporters.
And he can’t wait to see the Tartan Army flock across to North America next summer and turn it into the land of Scotland the Brave.
Scotland fans celebrate after qualifying for the 2026 World Cup
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Scotland fans celebrate after qualifying for the 2026 World Cup(Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire)
He said: “The Tartan Army are unbelievable, especially on their travels.
“So many numbers, so patriotic, so passionate and I think a lot of the world will be happy to see Scotland there.
“But we are absolutely delighted to see the Tartan Army there and I'm sure there will now be people on Skyscanner and things like that, trying to get the easiest way to America.
“But the fact that we've managed to achieve that is unbelievable, and, you know, fair play to them.
“They've helped us get over the line and we've got a hell of a summer ahead of us.”
Among those supporters no longer with us is one of Robertson’s closest pals. Diogo Jota.
The Liverpool and Portugal hero, tragically killed in a car crash in the summer, had been recruited as a Tartan Army reserve by the Scotland skipper.
And Robertson reckons his pal would have been smiling down at the scenes inside Hampden.
He said: “I’d certainly have got a text from him, that's for sure. You know, obviously congratulating me.
“He always used to love watching Scotland. I used to always watch him.
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“Obviously he was in my head a lot because he was so passionate about playing in Portugal. I'm always so passionate talking about Scotland and things like that.
“Us playing in the World Cup was a dream for both of us and obviously I'm gutted that he won't be able to achieve it, because of everything that's happened, which is devastating.
“But, I know wherever he is, he'll have a big smile on his face tonight, the fact that, you know, I can do it for both of us.”