Liverpool F.C. and the world of football are mourning the sudden death of Diogo Jota, 28, who was killed in a car accident in northern Spain early Thursday morning. Spanish authorities confirmed the Portuguese forward died alongside his younger brother, André Filipe, also a professional footballer in Portugal.
The fatal crash occurred around 12:30 a.m. on the A-52 highway near the town of Cernadilla, close to the Portuguese border. According to a statement from Spain’s Guardia Civil, the vehicle veered off the road due to a tire blowout while overtaking another car. It burst into flames, and both occupants died at the scene.
Jota’s death comes less than two weeks after he married his longtime partner, Rute Cardoso, in a heartfelt ceremony on June 22. The couple, who have three children together, shared emotional moments from the wedding on Instagram. “Yes, forever,” Jota wrote in Portuguese, captioning a photo of them at the altar.
Liverpool F.C. issued a heartfelt tribute, saying they were “devastated by the tragic passing” of the star forward, describing his loss as “unfathomable.”
Zamora’s provincial council, which oversees the area where the crash occurred, confirmed two men, ages 28 and 26, died in the accident. Emergency services responded to the fire that followed the crash, which also spread to nearby vegetation.
Born in Porto, Portugal, Diogo Jota began his football journey in local youth clubs before rising through the ranks of professional teams in Portugal and Spain. He moved to England in 2017 to play for Wolverhampton Wanderers and joined Liverpool in 2020. Jota was instrumental in Liverpool’s 2024–25 Premier League title-winning season, contributing six goals across 26 league matches.
F.C. Porto, where Jota played during the 2016–17 season and where his brother trained in the youth system, expressed “shock and deep regret” over their tragic passing. The club shared a photo of the brothers in their kit, honoring their legacy and roots in Porto.
