Liverpool, Portugal gamers mourn Diogo Jota and his brother at emotional funeral

Gamers from Liverpool and Portugal’s nationwide crew joined household and mates for the funeral of their teammate Diogo Jota and his brother on Saturday (July 5, 2025), two days after the siblings died in a automotive crash in Spain.

Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk arrived carrying a purple floral association within the form of a soccer shirt with Jota’s No. 20 in white. Liverpool teammate Andrew Robertson carried an identical association with the No. 30, the quantity worn by Jota’s brother, André Silva, who performed for Portuguese membership Penafiel. Coach Arne Slot was a part of the Liverpool contingent.

Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson arrive on the day of the funeral ceremony of Liverpool’s Portuguese participant Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in Gondomar, Portugal, on July 5, 2025.
| Photograph Credit score:
Reuters

Portugal worldwide Rúben Neves served as a pallbearer for Jota a day after enjoying on the Membership World Cup in the USA. He and Jota have been teammates at Wolverhampton earlier of their careers.

Neves and João Cancelo attended the funeral after enjoying in Orlando on Friday (July 4, 2025), when their Al Hilal was eradicated by Fluminense. Each gamers had wept when a minute of silence was held earlier than the quarterfinal match.

The service was held at Igreja Matriz church within the Portuguese city of Gondomar, the place Jota had a house.

Church bells pealed at 10:00 a.m. native time because the funeral began. Pallbearers carried the caskets of each brothers from a chapel subsequent door and into the church. Relations and a whole lot of mates and acquaintances, together with gamers of the native Gondomar FC the place Jota began enjoying at age 9, then adopted.

Portugal’s nationwide crew coach Roberto Martínez and a number of other different high Portuguese gamers additionally attended, together with Manchester Metropolis duo Bernardo Silva and Rúben Dias and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernándes.

Mourners react because the coffins of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva are carried outdoors the church throughout their funeral in Gondomar, close to Porto, Portugal, on July 5, 2025.
| Photograph Credit score:
AP

“These are actually, actually unhappy days, as you’ll be able to think about,” Martínez stated. “However right this moment we confirmed we’re a big, shut household… Their spirit can be with us ceaselessly.”

The bishop of Porto, Manuel Linda, led the funeral mass. The church was stuffed to capability and a few dozen individuals adopted the service by way of loudspeaker from outdoors. Afterwards, the coffins have been carried to the cemetery subsequent to the church.

Jota, 28, and the 25-year-old Silva have been discovered lifeless close to Zamora in northwestern Spain early Thursday (July 3, 2025) after the Lamborghini they have been driving crashed on an remoted stretch of freeway simply after midnight and burst into flames.

The brothers have been reportedly heading to catch a ship from northern Spain to go to England, the place Jota was to rejoin Liverpool after a summer time break.

Spanish police are investigating the reason for the crash, which didn’t contain one other automobile, they stated. They stated they consider it may have been attributable to a blown tire.

Their our bodies have been repatriated to Portugal after being recognized by the household. A wake was held for them on Friday (July 4, 2025).

Jota’s demise occurred two weeks after he married long-time accomplice Rute Cardoso whereas on trip from an extended season the place he helped Liverpool win the Premier League. The couple had three kids, the youngest born final yr.

Their loss led to an outpouring of condolences from the soccer world and Portuguese officers.