By Attia Naveed
The bodies of Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, arrived in northern Portugal on Friday for a wake in their hometown of Gondomar, near Porto. The brothers died in a tragic car crash near Zamora, Spain, early Thursday after their Lamborghini veered off the road and burst into flames. Police suspect a tyre burst caused the accident, which shocked football fans worldwide.
Jota’s wife, Rute Cardoso, who married him just weeks earlier, was seen leaving the morgue and joining the convoy alongside Jota’s longtime agent Jorge Mendes. The wake will be held at the Chapel of the Resurrection in Gondomar from 4 pm local time, with the funeral scheduled for Saturday at a nearby church. Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro visited the town to pay his respects and support the grieving community.
The football world has been deeply shaken by Jota’s sudden death at the age of 28. Tributes poured in from former teammates, clubs, national leaders, and fans globally. Outside Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium, fans left flowers, scarves, and heartfelt notes, many from children expressing their grief and admiration for the late star.
Several top football clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Real Madrid, observed moments of silence during their training sessions ahead of the Club World Cup matches in the United States. Chelsea’s manager revealed that Portuguese forward Pedro Neto, a close friend of Jota, is currently uncertain about playing in Friday’s quarter-final as he mourns the loss.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot expressed profound sorrow on behalf of the club, emphasizing Jota’s importance both as a player and a beloved teammate. Jota had been recovering well from recent lung surgery after a fractured rib and was avoiding air travel for six weeks. His physiotherapist confirmed he was planning to take a ferry back to the UK from Spain before the tragic accident.