 |
| Liverpool and Portugal international forward Diogo Jota |
Liverpool and Portugal international forward Diogo Jota has died in a car crash in the early hours of Thursday, July 3, authorities in Spain have confirmed.
Jota, 28 years old, was travelling with his younger brother, 26-year-old Andre Silva, a professional footballer for Portuguese club Penafiel, when their car veered off the A-52 highway in Palacios de Sanabria, Zamora province.
According to the Spanish Guardia Civil, the vehicle, a Lamborghini, suffered a tyre blowout while overtaking another car and subsequently caught fire after leaving the road.
Both occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Zamora Provincial Council posted a statement on social media confirming the fatal accident, and tributes have since poured in from across the football world.
 |
| Diogo Jota |
Jota, who joined Liverpool from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020 for £41 million, made 182 appearances for the club, scoring 65 goals and contributing 26 assists.
Consequently, he helped Liverpool win the Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup during his time at Anfield.
Before his time at Liverpool, Jota played for Wolves, Atlético Madrid, Porto, and Paços de Ferreira. He made his international debut for Portugal in 2019 and earned 49 caps, scoring 14 goals.
His final appearance came in Portugal's UEFA Nations League victory over Spain on 8 June.
Jota had recently married his longtime partner, Rute Cardoso, on June 22. The couple had three children.
 |
| Diogo Jota and his wife Rute Cardoso |
Football associations and clubs have expressed their condolences.
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) described Jota and Silva’s deaths as an “irreparable loss” and praised Jota as a respected player and community figure.
Liverpool said they were “devastated,” while Wolves stated they were “heartbroken.”
A minute’s silence will be observed before Portugal's UEFA Women’s Euros match against Spain on Thursday in memory of the brothers.
0 Comments