The global football community is in shock following the tragic death of Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident at age 28.
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Jota and his brother, André Silva, also a professional footballer, were both killed when their Lamborghini crashed in the Spanish province of Zamora on Thursday, July 3.
Reports indicate that the car suffered a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle on the A-52 highway near the town of Cernadilla. Both men died at the scene at approximately 12:30 a.m. local time.
Jota, who had recently undergone minor surgery, was advised not to fly and was reportedly driving from Porto to Santander to catch a ferry back to the UK for Liverpool’s pre-season training.
The trip followed his wedding to longtime partner Rute Cardoso just 11 days earlier. He leaves behind a grieving wife and three children.
A Legacy Remembered
Jota scored 65 goals in 182 matches for Liverpool, contributing to the club’s FA Cup, League Cup, and most recently, Premier League title wins.
Former manager Jürgen Klopp and current boss Arne Slot led tributes, praising Jota not only as a tenacious player but also as a deeply kind and beloved teammate.
“He was the essence of what a Liverpool player should be,” Slot said, noting that his last conversation with Jota had been to congratulate him on his wedding and Portugal’s Nations League victory.
Teammates including Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson described Jota as a humble and joyful presence both on and off the pitch. “Your legacy will live on, we will make sure of it,” Van Dijk said.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo also expressed his heartbreak: “It doesn’t make sense. We were just together with the national team. You had just married. Rest in peace, Diogo and André.”
Public Grief and Tributes
Thousands of fans gathered at Anfield to pay their respects, laying flowers, scarves, shirts, and personal messages. Liverpool opened physical and digital books of condolence to honour the fallen player and his brother.
The funeral for Jota and André Silva will be held in Porto on Saturday, following a wake on Friday afternoon.
