Scotland captain Andy Robertson is poised to win his 100th international cap when the national side travels to Skopje to face North Macedonia, a landmark that would put him among a small group of Scots to reach three figures for their country.

Team-mate John McGinn described the Liverpool left-back as “inspirational” in the build-up to the match, underlining the esteem in which Robertson is held within the current Scotland squad.

A milestone still to be completed

The achievement is not yet confirmed. Robertson has to be selected and take to the field in Skopje for the cap to count, meaning the landmark remains prospective rather than achieved until kick-off and his involvement are confirmed.

At 32, Robertson would move to within touching distance of the Scotland men’s appearance record held by Kenny Dalglish, who won 102 caps across a career that spanned the 1970s and 1980s. Reaching three figures would place Robertson among an elite group of Scottish internationals.

Only a handful of Scotland players have ever reached a century of caps, a reflection of how difficult it is to combine a long international career with the demands of a top-level club schedule. The achievement is typically associated with players who have avoided serious injury over many years while remaining first-choice for both club and country.

Robertson’s rise to the captaincy

Robertson came through the youth ranks at Queen’s Park before a route to the top flight via Dundee United and Hull City led to a move to Liverpool in 2017, where he became a mainstay of the side that won the Premier League and Champions League under Jürgen Klopp.

He has since taken on the Scotland captaincy and led the national side through a period that has included qualification for major tournaments, giving him a leadership role on top of his standing as one of the country’s most reliable performers.

Robertson’s path from Scottish junior football to the top of the European game is often cited as an example of a player whose progress did not follow the conventional route through a big club academy, with his time at Queen’s Park, a part-time club in Scottish football, seen as formative in shaping his approach to the game.

McGinn’s tribute

McGinn, one of Scotland’s most experienced current internationals, said it had been a privilege to share much of Robertson’s journey in the Scotland set-up. The comments reflect the regard in which Robertson is held by his peers rather than any official confirmation of selection for Skopje.

The pair have featured together in Scotland squads across multiple campaigns, including the country’s appearances at the European Championships, and McGinn’s remarks point to a dressing room that sees Robertson’s longevity as a benchmark for younger players coming into the squad.

McGinn himself is among the senior figures in the current squad, and his willingness to speak publicly about Robertson’s influence reflects a broader culture within the Scotland camp of marking significant milestones for senior players as a way of recognising their contribution to the national team’s recent progress.

Context: longevity in the international game

Reaching 100 caps is a rare achievement in international football because it depends on sustained fitness, consistent form and selection across a long period, factors that can be disrupted by injury or a change of manager. Robertson’s continued presence in the Scotland side, despite a demanding club schedule at Liverpool, has kept him in contention for the landmark.

Scotland’s recent qualifying campaigns have given Robertson a steady run of fixtures in which to accumulate caps, with competitive matches in European Championship and World Cup qualifying groups, alongside Nations League fixtures, providing more opportunities for established internationals to reach milestones than in previous decades, when friendly matches made up a larger share of the calendar.

What happens next

Scotland’s match against North Macedonia in Skopje will determine whether Robertson reaches the milestone and what role he plays in the game itself. The fixture forms part of Scotland’s wider schedule of matches, with the result and Robertson’s involvement only to be confirmed once the game has been played.

Until then, the build-up concerns the anticipation around a significant personal landmark for the Scotland captain rather than a completed achievement, with attention also on how Scotland perform in a fixture that matters for their wider qualifying prospects.