Footballer Diogo Jota has died in a traffic accident. The Liverpool attacker leaves behind a wife, whom he married 11 days ago, and three children.
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- Diogo Jota (28) died in a traffic accident on Thursday, July 3. His brother André was there and also died.
- Diogo Jota had married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso just eleven days earlier. He also leaves behind three children aged four, two and less than a year old.
- Most recently, Jota played for Liverpool FC and won the Nations League with Portugal last June.
Portuguese professional footballer Diogo Jota has died. The 28-year-old, who was most recently under contract with Liverpool FC, died in a car accident in the Spanish province of Zamora on Thursday night. His younger brother André, also a professional footballer with Portuguese second division club Penafiel, also died in the accident.
"The Portuguese Football Federation and the whole of Portuguese football are deeply shocked by the deaths of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva this morning in Spain," the association wrote on X. He was not only a fantastic player, "but also an exceptional person who was respected by all his teammates and opponents, who radiated an infectious joy and was a point of reference in his community."
According to media reports, including the Spanish newspaper Marca, the accident occurred at around 00:30 on Thursday on the A-52 highway near the municipality of Cernadilla. The vehicle left the road for unknown reasons and caught fire.
Eyewitnesses alerted the emergency services - but all help came too late for the brothers. Several sources are now reporting that a burst tire during an overtaking maneuver may have led to the loss of control.
Diogo Jota had married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso just eleven days earlier. He also leaves behind three children aged four, two and less than a year old.
Jota's career took him from Paços de Ferreira via Atlético Madrid, FC Porto and Wolverhampton Wanderers to Liverpool FC in 2020. He celebrated numerous successes with the Reds, most recently the Premier League title in the summer of 2025. He played 49 international matches for the Portuguese national team and scored 14 goals.