Liverpool forward Diogo Jota has sadly passed away at the age of 28 following a fatal car accident in Spain, leaving the football fraternity in complete shock.
News of this tragedy first surfaced on the internet via the major Spanish publication Marca. The incident occurred in the municipality of Cernadilla, Zamora, claiming the lives of Diogo and his brother, Andre Felipe, who was also present in the vehicle.
The identities of the deceased have been confirmed by Spanish authorities, as reported by Sky News, with police believing a tyre burst to be the cause of this crash. Liverpool and the Portuguese Football Federation took to social media to pay tribute to their former player and his brother, an attacking midfielder for the Portuguese second division side FC Penafiel.
This tragedy occurred just two weeks after the former Wolves attacker married his long time girlfriend, Rute Cardoso. The Portuguese international leaves three children behind.
The Portuguese FA has also requested a minute's silence in tribute to the Jota brothers in Thursday's UEFA Women's Euro 2025 fixture between Portugal and Spain.
"The Portuguese Football Federation and the entire Portuguese football community are completely devastated by the death of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, this morning in Spain," the federation's statement read.
"Much more than a fantastic player, with almost 50 caps for the men's senior team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all his teammates and opponents, someone with an infectious joy and a reference in the community itself.
"The Portuguese Football Federation expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diogo and André Silva, as well as to Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs where the players played, respectively."
Portuguese giants Porto, for whom Jota played prior to his Premier League move, also issued a tribute to Diogo and Andre Felipe, who also played for the Dragons in his youth.
Diogo played 190 games in the Premier League, 123 of which were for Liverpool, scoring 63 goals for the Merseyside giants and Wolves while winning a Premier League title, the FA Cup, and the Carabao Cup at Anfield.