Family and friends of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother gathered for a private wake in the footballer’s hometown in northern Portugal.
Jota, 28, and his 25-year-old brother, André Silva, tragically died after their Lamborghini crashed and caught fire on a remote highway near Zamora in northwestern Spain shortly after midnight on Thursday, local time.
After being identified by family members, their remains were returned to Portugal, according to Spanish authorities.
Mourners embraced and wept as they arrived at the Capela da Ressurreição São Cosme, where the siblings’ funeral is set to take place on Saturday.
Jota, remembered for his deep connection to his roots, lived in Gondomar alongside his parents. The working-class town near Porto is where he began his football journey as a child.
His untimely death occurred just two weeks after marrying his longtime partner, Rute Cardoso, during a holiday break following a demanding season in which he helped Liverpool win the Premier League. The couple shared three children, with their youngest born last year.
Spanish authorities are still investigating the cause of the accident, which reportedly did not involve another vehicle.
Jota’s brother, André Silva, played in the lower tiers of Portuguese football with Penafiel.
As the news spread, tributes poured in from across Portugal and the global football community. Fans left flowers and scarves at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium, while a moment of silence was observed before Portugal’s Women’s European Championship match against Spain in Switzerland.
Portuguese tennis player Francisco Cabral also wore a black ribbon in Jota’s memory during his match at Wimbledon.
The grief was especially profound in Gondomar, particularly at Jota’s first club, where he began playing at nine years old.
“He never forgot his roots or his friends,” said Anselmo Serra, director of Gondomar SC. “He had a group of mates who trained with him here and who he would occasionally invite to watch Liverpool games in England. They were a close group he always kept close.”
