Diogo Jota. Portuguese Football in Mourning

It still doesn't seem real. Portuguese football woke up on Thursday to news that left the country numb. Player Diogo Jota, just 28 years old, died in the early hours of the morning, along with his brother and fellow footballer André Silva, 26, following a car accident in Zamora, Spain.

According to Spanish newspaper Marca , the car carrying the Portuguese international left the A-52 motorway after a supposedly burst tire and caught fire. A video taken by a driver who passed by the accident area moments after it happened shows the car completely engulfed in flames. The players were already dead when rescue teams arrived at the scene. From the information that has been gathered, bit by bit, it is known that the brothers were traveling to Santander, where they were expected to catch a boat to England, when the fatal accident occurred in Zamora.

The player, according to CNN_Portugal , had been advised against flying due to lung surgery. "The information we have so far is that the car, a Lamborghini, was involved in a traffic accident and skidded off the road due to a tire burst while overtaking. It happened in the early hours of the morning, 00:30 [ local time ], in the municipality of Cernadilla, in the province of Zamora. The car caught fire and the two occupants died," Spanish authorities told the BBC .

Speaking to Lusa , a source from the Portuguese consulate in Madrid said that the identities of Diogo Jota, who was wearing Liverpool colours, and André Silva, a Penafiel player, were confirmed with the help of documents found at the scene and in the car. The bodies will be handed over to the family after forensic evidence has been collected.

An untimely death

The players' deaths have left the football world in shock. In a brief statement, the club of the Portuguese international wrote: "Liverpool Football Club is devastated by the tragic death of Diogo Jota" and mourns the "unimaginable loss ", adding that, for now, it will not make any further comment, asking for respect for the privacy of the family, friends, teammates and club staff "as they try to come to terms with this loss" .

The club also said that it will continue to provide all necessary support to the family of Diogo and André. Fans and supporters, who left several flowers and shirts near the stadium, asked the club to remove the number 20, headed by the star, in tribute.

Among the dozens and dozens of reactions and notes of condolence from colleagues, friends and coaches, clubs and sports organisations, some stand out, such as that of Cristiano Ronaldo. «It doesn't make sense. We were just together in the national team, you had just got married. To your family, your wife and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. Rest in peace, Diogo and André. We will all miss you» , he wrote on his social media. Sporting also published black and white photographs of the Liverpool player. «The world of football has become poorer. Sporting expresses its condolences for the death of Portuguese international Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva. Our deepest condolences to the entire family at this difficult time» .

On Thursday morning, in Belém, the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, confessed to being in “shock” and recalled one of his last moments with the player. “I can’t help but remember the last hug I gave him, in the dressing room, at the end of the victory in Munich. No one could have imagined that it would be the last hug,” he recalled. Former national coach Fernando Santos also reacted to the accident, confessing: “I am shocked, speechless. It is a very sad moment for the family. It started with me in the national team. It is a sad moment for everyone, especially for those who worked with him because everyone liked him.”

In times of mourning, rivalries fade and respect for football and for rivals comes to the fore. This was the case of Manchester City, who published a photo with both number 20s – Diogo Jota and Bernardo Silva – side by side, embracing each other. “We send our sincere condolences to his family, his friends and everyone at Liverpool Football Club at this difficult time. Rest in peace, Diogo,” read the statement published by the club.

Legacy

Born in Porto, Diogo Jota was born on December 4, 1996. He first touched the ball at Gondomar SC, when he was still very young, and then at Paços de Ferreira, where he became part of the first team at just 17 years old. His talent was quickly noticed by the big clubs and, in 2016, he moved to Atlético de Madrid. He was also loaned to FC Porto and moved to Wolverhampton. In 2020, he began a new phase in his career, wearing the Liverpool kit, and it didn't take long for him to be a regular starter. He made 182 appearances for the 'Reds', in which he scored 65 goals and provided 22 assists. In 2024/25, he managed nine goals and three assists in 37 appearances.

Diogo Jota also wore the colors of the National Team for the first time in 2019 and never stopped: he scored 14 goals for our country. The player had married on June 22 and leaves behind three young children.