Liverpool winger Diogo Jota has tragically passed away in a severe car accident that occurred in Zamora Province, Spain. He was 28 years old. Also killed in the crash was his younger brother, André Silva, 26, a player for Portuguese second-division club Penafiel.
The accident occurred on the A52 highway, near the Palacios de Sanabria area. According to emergency services in the Castilla y León region, the car carrying the two brothers veered off the road and burst into flames. Emergency medical teams arrived at the scene but confirmed that both victims had died instantly.
This heartbreaking tragedy happened just 10 days after Jota’s wedding to his longtime partner, Rute Cardoso. The couple shared three beautiful children together.
Notably, Diogo Jota’s final post on social media featured joyful images from their wedding day, captioned: “June 22, 2025. A nod to forever.”
The post has since received over 190,000 likes and thousands of condolence comments following news of his passing.
Just a few months prior, Diogo Jota had opened up about his family, especially his three children. The Portuguese forward shared:
“When I come home after a match, I still have responsibilities. I have three kids and there’s no time to rest. Sometimes, I want to take a quick nap, but the kids get excited because Dad is home and they want to play.
Yesterday was the same — after the match, I tried to rest, but one of them wanted to play football. You have to be ready to respond. I always want to be the best father I can be. Even when I’m tired, I try to set an example and be there for them.”
Liverpool Football Club has issued an official statement:
“Liverpool FC is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Diogo Jota. According to the information we have received, he tragically lost his life in a traffic accident in Spain alongside his brother, André.
At this moment, we will not be making any further comments. We respectfully ask the media and supporters to honor the privacy of Diogo’s family, friends, teammates, and staff during this time of profound grief. We stand with them and will offer our full support as they navigate this unimaginable loss.”
Diogo Jota began his career in his homeland of Portugal with Paços de Ferreira, making his debut in the Primeira Liga in 2015. In 2016, he joined Atlético Madrid, though he never made an appearance in La Liga. He was then loaned to FC Porto, where he impressed with 8 goals in a single season, paving the way for a permanent move to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2017 for a reported fee of £12 million.
At Wolves, Jota played a crucial role in their promotion to the Premier League, netting 17 goals, and continued to shine over the next two seasons with a total of 16 Premier League goals. In the summer of 2020, he transferred to Liverpool for £45 million and quickly became a vital part of Jürgen Klopp’s tactical system.
