By News18
Football legend Crisitiano Ronaldo took to X on Thursday (July 3) to share a post for his former Portugal teammate Diogo Jota who sadly passed away earlier in the day. Jota and his brother died in a car crash in northwestern Spain on Thursday.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 make sense. Just now we were together in the National Team, just now you had gotten 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 Andr茅. We will all miss you,鈥 Ronaldo tweeted.
N茫o faz sentido. Ainda agora est谩vamos juntos na Sele莽茫o, ainda agora tinhas casado. 脌 tua familia, 脿 tua mulher e aos teus filhos, envio os meus sentimentos e desejo-lhes toda a for莽a do mundo. Sei que estar谩s sempre com eles. Descansem em Paz, Diogo e Andr茅. Vamos todos sentir鈥 pic.twitter.com/H1qSTvPoQs
鈥 Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) July 3, 2025
According to available information, Jota and his brother Andre died after a vehicle veered off a motorway and burst into flames shortly after midnight in the municipality of Cernadilla in Zamora province.
鈥淓verything points to the blowout of a tyre while it (the vehicle) was overtaking,鈥 the Civil Guard said in a statement, adding that the corpses had been taken to a morgue.
Portuguese football federation president Pedro Proenca wrote on social media that he was 鈥渄evastated鈥, calling Jota 鈥渁n extraordinary person, respected by all his colleagues and opponents, someone blessed with an infectious joy and a reference for his own community鈥.
鈥淲e have lost two champions. The death of Diogo and Andre Silva are irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything possible to honour their legacy every day,鈥 Proenca added.
He said they had asked UEFA for a minute鈥檚 silence before Portugal鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Euro 2025 match against Spain in Switzerland on Thursday.
Liverpool said it was 鈥渄evastated鈥 by the 鈥渦nimaginable loss鈥 and that it would make no further comment for the privacy of the brothers鈥 family, friends, teammates and club staff.
鈥淲e will continue to provide them with our full support,鈥 Liverpool added in a statement.
Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro described Jota as 鈥渁n athlete who greatly honoured Portugal鈥檚 name鈥, expressing his condolences on 鈥渁 sad day for football and for national and international sports鈥.
鈥淔C Porto is in mourning. It is with shock and deep sorrow that we send our heartfelt condolences鈥 to the family and friends of Jota and his brother, the Portuguese giants said in a statement.
Atletico Madrid also released a message expressing the La Liga club鈥檚 shock at the deaths and offered their condolences.
鈥淭hey say we only lose people when we forget them. I will never forget you!鈥, Jota鈥檚 international teammate Ruben Neves posted in an Instagram story.
Jota had married his partner Rute Cardoso on June 22, posting a video of their wedding on Instagram just hours before the accident. They had three children.
The former Atletico Madrid, Porto and Wolverhampton Wanderers star scored nine goals in all competitions last season as Liverpool cruised to their 20th Premier League title.
(With inputs from AFP)