Family, friends, and figures from the football world will gather on Saturday to pay their final respects to Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother, André Silva, following their tragic deaths in a car crash.
Jota, 28, and Silva, 25, died on Thursday after their vehicle veered off a motorway in northwestern Spain and caught fire. The accident occurred just days after Jota had married his longtime partner, Rute Cardoso.
The funeral is taking place in Jota’s hometown of Gondomar, near Porto, with the service scheduled to begin at 09:00 GMT. The Bishop of Porto will preside over the ceremony, according to local media reports.
On Friday, hundreds attended a wake for the two brothers. Among those offering condolences were Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, Jota’s agent Jorge Mendes, Porto club president André Villas-Boas, and close childhood friends.
“Football is truly in mourning,” said Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença. “Diogo was an icon of the immense talent our country has produced.”
Jota’s family, including his parents and grandfather, were among the first to pay their respects at the chapel, with mourners visibly emotional as they carried floral tributes and embraced one another. Members of the public were later allowed to join the wake, many in tears as they laid flowers and memorabilia.
“Football is truly in mourning,” said Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença. “Diogo was an icon of the immense talent our country has produced.”
Jota’s family, including his parents and grandfather, were among the first to pay their respects at the chapel, with mourners visibly emotional as they carried floral tributes and embraced one another. Members of the public were later allowed to join the wake, many in tears as they laid flowers and memorabilia.
The deaths of Jota and his brother have sparked an overwhelming wave of mourning, from Gondomar to Anfield and beyond.
At Liverpool’s Anfield stadium, a book of condolences was opened and flags were flown at half-mast. Supporters left flowers, scarves, balloons, and jerseys bearing messages such as “Rest in peace, Diogo Jota.”
At the Diogo Jota Football Academy near Gondomar SC—where Jota began his football journey—a growing memorial has emerged, with candles, handwritten messages, and shirts draped in tribute.
“Thank you, Diogo Jota,” read one note from a young fan.
Pedro Neves, a childhood friend from Gondomar, remembered Jota as “kind, humble, and always smiling.”
“He left us far too young. It’s not fair. But that’s life sometimes,” Neves told AFP.
Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, who brought Jota to the club in 2020, said he was “heartbroken” by the news.
“This is an unimaginable loss,” the club said in a statement.
Klopp’s successor, Arne Slot, echoed the sentiment: “We owe it to Diogo to stand together and support one another during this incredibly difficult time.”
On Friday, Jota was remembered with a minute of silence at the Club World Cup quarter-final between Fluminense and Al Hilal in Orlando, USA.
According to Portuguese and UK media reports, Jota was en route to the Spanish port city of Santander to board a ferry to the UK, reportedly avoiding air travel on medical advice following a recent lung operation. Liverpool were due to resume pre-season training on Friday.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah said he was left “frightened” to return to training in the wake of his teammate’s death. The club has since postponed the return of several players to allow time to grieve.
Just hours before the crash, Jota had shared a video from his wedding to Rute Cardoso, held on June 22. The couple had three young children.
