Scotland v Belarus 2026 FIFA World Cup, WM, Weltmeisterschaft, Fussball Qualifiers Andy Robertson of Scotland during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Group C match at Hampden Park, Glasgow UK Newspapers OUT Copyright: xFredxPalmerx FIL-22351-0159
Scotland captain Andy Robertson heads into a crucial World Cup group stage match armed with firsthand experience of facing Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi at the highest level.
Robertson, now 32 and recently signed by Spurs after leaving Liverpool, will go head-to-head with Hakimi in Boston on Friday night in what promises to be one of the tournament’s most compelling individual battles.
The Scotland skipper faces a player he holds in the highest possible regard, calling Hakimi the best full-back in the world without hesitation.
Robertson played against Hakimi twice in the Champions League with Liverpool, gaining valuable insight into how the PSG star operates at full flight.
In March 2025, Robertson helped Liverpool claim a 1-0 victory over PSG at the Parc des Princes in the Champions League last-16 first leg, a result he would happily repeat in Boston.
PSG ultimately had the last word at club level, reversing the scoreline at Anfield before sending Liverpool out in a penalty shoot-out.
Robertson said: “I can’t speak highly enough of Hakimi. I’ve got huge admiration for him and all that he’s doing just now.”
He added: “I think he’s the best full-back in the world, when I think of him and Nuno Mendes on the other side at PSG. We played against them twice with Liverpool in the last two years of the Champions League and both are phenomenal.”
Robertson also flagged Ismael Saibari as another Moroccan threat, with the midfielder having recently moved from PSV to Bayern Munich and scoring his country’s goal in their 1-1 Group C draw with Brazil.
Robertson was clear that Morocco present dangers across the entire pitch, not just through individual star players.
He said: “They’ve got quality all over the pitch so it’s hard to then focus on one. Because if you do, another one will pop up and punish you.”
Despite the scale of the challenge, Robertson believes Steve Clarke’s side have the quality to secure a result that would advance them into the last-32 of the tournament.
He said: “We also believe in the quality that we’ve got. We believe we can be a tough team to play against too. We have to show that on the biggest stage.”
Around 30,000 members of the Tartan Army are expected to fill Foxborough once again, following their widely praised presence throughout Boston since the tournament began.
The Scotland supporters made headlines over the weekend by descending on Fenway Park during a Boston Red Sox baseball game, transforming the stadium into a raucous celebration of Scottish colour and song.
Robertson revealed that even one of Liverpool’s owners from the Fenway Sports Group reached out personally to praise the supporters’ behaviour.
He said: “One of them sent a nice message to me, so the fans carried themselves so well. He was just saying that at the Red Sox game they turned into a Tartan Army party.”
Robertson added: “They’re the best in the world and I’m sure they’ll continue to be,” reflecting on the supporters who have become the talk of the host city.
Scotland’s only previous meeting with Morocco came at France ’98, when Craig Brown’s side suffered a 3-0 defeat that ended their World Cup campaign.
Robertson, who was four years old at the time, dismissed any notion of revenge but acknowledged the significance of returning to Boston’s stadium after Scotland secured their first World Cup win since 1990 there earlier in the tournament.
He said: “I was only four when the last game happened, so I don’t think revenge is the word. Look, we’re facing a fantastic team, one of the best in the world. But we always believe that if we carry out our game plan and play the best we can, we can make it difficult for any team.”
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