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Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota has tragically died at the age of 28 following a devastating car crash in Zamora, northwestern Spain. His younger brother, André Silva, 26, also lost his life in the same accident. The two were travelling in a Lamborghini when the vehicle veered off the A-52 highway near Palacios de Sanabria, reportedly due to a tyre blowout while overtaking, before bursting into flames.
Emergency services from the Castilla and Leon region confirmed the tragedy occurred shortly after midnight on Thursday, July 3. A statement from authorities read: "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 been involved in an accident and the vehicle was on fire. Medical teams confirmed the death of two people at the scene."
The news comes just two weeks after Jota married his long-time partner, Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children. The ceremony took place on June 22 in Porto, his home city. Jota had recently shared joyful wedding photos online, calling himself "the luckiest man in the world."
Jota joined Liverpool from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020 for over £40 million. He made 182 appearances for the Merseyside club, scoring 65 goals and helping them win the Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup. Internationally, Jota earned 49 caps for Portugal, participating in the UEFA Nations League, Euro 2022, and Euro 2024, and scoring key goals in several tournaments.
His brother André Silva was also a professional footballer, playing for Portuguese second-tier side Penafiel.
Pedro Proenca, president of the Portuguese Football Federation, confirmed the deaths and paid tribute: "Much more than an amazing player, with almost 50 internationalizations for the National A Team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all teammates and opponents, someone with an infectious joy and a reference in the community itself."
Portugal's Prime Minister, Luis Montenegro, also mourned the loss: "The news of the death of Diogo Jota, an athlete who greatly honoured the name of Portugal, and his brother is unexpected and tragic."
UEFA was asked to observe a minute of silence before Portugal's upcoming women's match against Spain.
