The football world is in shock after Diogo Jota, a forward for Liverpool and Portugal, died in a car accident at the age of 28. After their Lamborghini crashed in the Spanish region of Zamora, Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, perished.
According to BBC Sport, Jota, 28, was returning to Liverpool for preseason training. He travelled by car and ferry because doctors had advised against flying after he had minor surgery.
Just eleven days before the tragic accident, Jota Wed his long-time companion, Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children.
While supporters gathered outside Anfield to pay their respects, Liverpool declared Jota’s passing to be a “tragedy that transcends” the team.
Jota was described as “the essence of what a Liverpool player should be” by Reds boss Arne Slot.
Jota and Silva, 25-year-old professional football players for Penafiel, a second-tier Portuguese team, were killed when their car blew out its tires while they were passing another car.
Both males passed away on Thursday at around 00:30 local time, the Guardian Civil said BBC Sport. It is believed that Jota was driving from Porto to catch a ferry from Santander in northern Spain since he planned to return to Liverpool via boat.
In the south of England, Santander has ferry connections to Plymouth and Portsmouth. The distance between Porto and Zamora, which is on the Portuguese border, is roughly 190 miles. Jota is believed to have journeyed to Porto for his wedding over land and sea.
According to Liverpool, the team was “devastated” by Jota’s “unimaginable loss” and led the tributes. In 182 games, he scored 65 goals for Liverpool, which helped them win the Premier League last season and the FA Cup and League Cup in 2022.
In an Instagram post, the Scotland international added: “The last time I saw him was the happiest day of his life- his wedding day. I want to remember his never-ceasing smile from that magical day. How much he was bursting with love for his wife and family.”
Tom Werner and Milr Gordon, the club’s owners and leadership group, were “numb with grief” and sent their condolences to Jota’s family in a statement.
They added: “Beyond the player that we all knew was a wonderfully humble human being, he was sincere, intelligent, funny, tough and created connections with people everywhere he went. He had a zest for life that was utterly contagious.”
Before joining Liverpool in 2020, Jota played for Pacos de Ferreira, Atlético Madrid, Porto, and Wolves, scoring 44 goals in 131 games. He played his last game for Portugal in their victory over Spain in the UEFA Nations League final. In 49 international matches, he scored 14 goals.