Portugal’s Prime Minister Luís Montenegro joined grieving family members in Gondomar on Friday for a private wake honouring Diogo Jota, the Liverpool and Portugal forward who tragically died in a car accident alongside his younger brother, Andre Silva.
The two brothers were killed in the early hours of Thursday when their Lamborghini veered off a motorway near Puebla de Sanabria in Spain and burst into flames. Authorities suspect a burst tyre was the cause of the crash. Their bodies were transported back to their hometown near Porto on Thursday evening.
Jota’s agent Jorge Mendes, along with his widow Rute Cardoso, who had married the footballer just weeks earlier, were seen attending the emotional gathering. Prime Minister Montenegro spent nearly 30 minutes with the family but did not address the media upon his departure.
A public wake will be held on Friday at a chapel in Gondomar from 4:00 p.m. (1500 GMT), with the funeral scheduled for Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local time, according to the office of the local mayor.
The death of 28-year-old Jota has sent shockwaves through the football community, with tributes pouring in from former teammates, clubs, political leaders, and fans across the world. Outside Anfield, supporters have created a memorial with flowers, scarves, and heartfelt messages—many written by children.
Top European clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Real Madrid, observed moments of silence during training in the Club World Cup currently taking place in the United States.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca revealed that Portuguese international Pedro Neto was considering whether to feature in Friday’s quarterfinal against Palmeiras, citing the personal loss of his close friend.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot expressed the depth of grief felt within the club:
"My message to his family is very clear – You’ll Never Walk Alone," said Slot. "Diogo wasn’t just a player. He was a loved one to all of us – a teammate, a colleague, a friend. He was incredibly special in every role."
In Gondomar, a town of 160,000 known for its artisanal gold and filigree jewelry, the grief is deeply personal. Jota was a local hero, and tributes have been laid outside the Diogo Jota Academy, which he founded in 2022 for children aged 6 to 9 at his former youth club, Gondomar FC. The academy’s motto—"It’s not important where we come from, but where we are going"—now takes on added poignancy.
At Gondomar Secondary School, where Jota met his future wife Rute Cardoso, classmates and teachers recalled their early relationship, which began when the two were just 15. The couple later moved to Madrid together at age 19 when Jota transferred from Paços de Ferreira to Atlético Madrid.
“Besides being his girlfriend and best friend, I’m his No.1 fan,” Cardoso once told Portuguese newspaper A Bola.
Jota had been recovering from lung surgery after suffering a fractured rib, according to his physiotherapist Miguel Gonçalves, who spoke to broadcaster Now. Doctors had advised him to avoid air travel for six weeks, prompting him to travel by car with his brother and plan a ferry crossing from Spain to the UK.
“He was recovering well from the pneumothorax surgery,” said Gonçalves. “He was looking forward to rejoining Liverpool.”
Now, instead of a return to pre-season training, the football world is mourning a player whose life and career ended far too soon.
