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Jota died at just 28, 2 weeks after marrying his long time fiancee
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Agencies
Liverpool’s Portuguese forward Diogo Jota has died in a car crash near Zamora, in northwestern Spain, Spanish state broadcaster TVE reported on Thursday, citing local firefighters. He was 28.
Jota was reportedly travelling with his younger brother, André Silva, 26, who also died in the crash.
According to local reports, their car veered off the A-52 highway in the province of Zamora, crashed, and then burst into flames. The A-52 is a major route frequently used by drivers travelling between northern Portugal and Spain.
Emergency services in the Castilla y León region confirmed the fatal accident in a statement:
“The 1-1-2 Castilla y León operations room received several calls reporting a vehicle accident at Km 65 of the A-52, in the municipality of Cernadilla, Zamora. A car was reported to have crashed and was on fire.
1-1-2 notified the Zamora Traffic Police, the Zamora Provincial Council Fire Brigade, and the Sacyl Emergency Coordination Center. A Medical Emergency Unit (UME) and Primary Care Medical Staff (MAP) from the Mombuey Health Center attended the scene and confirmed the deaths of two people.”
The tragic news comes just two weeks after Jota married his long-term partner, Rute Cardoso, the mother of his three children. In an interview released only yesterday, he described himself as “the luckiest man in the world.”
Jota was widely known for his infectious joy and tenacious style on the pitch. He earned nearly 50 caps for the Portuguese national team and was a key player for Liverpool FC since joining the club in 2020.
His death was confirmed by Pedro Proença, president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF).
“The Portuguese Football Federation and all of Portuguese football are completely devastated by the deaths of Diogo Jota and André Silva this morning in Spain,” Proença said in a statement. “Much more than an amazing player, Diogo was an extraordinary person, respected by all teammates and opponents — someone with an infectious joy and a reference in the community itself.
On my behalf and on behalf of the Portuguese Football Federation, I express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diogo and André Silva, as well as to Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs where they respectively played.
The Portuguese Football Federation has already requested that UEFA observe a minute’s silence this Thursday before our women’s national team match against Spain in the European Championship.
The loss of Diogo and André Silva represents an irreparable loss for Portuguese football, and we will do everything to honour their legacy every day.”
More details will be updated
