Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota died in a car crash in Spain on Thursday. He was 28.
Liverpool confirmed Jota’s death, as well as the death of his brother, André Silva, in a “road traffic incident.” Silva was 25.
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The Spanish Civil Guard confirmed that both Jota and Silva were killed after their car went off the road near Zamora, Spain, per the Associated Press. The car — a Lamborghini — was found in flames and firefighters were called in to prevent the flames from spreading.
Police are investigating the cause of the crash. Investigators are unsure who was driving the car, and are looking into whether a blown tire resulted in the crash, which occurred shortly after midnight local time.
Jota, who was born in Portugal, originally joined Liverpool in 2020. He scored 47 total goals and had 15 assists in 79 starts with the team. Jota battled injuries during his final season with Liverpool, but helped lead the team to another Premier League title during the 2024-25 season.
He also represented Portugal in international play. Jota played in the team’s 5-3 penalty shootout win over Spain in June. It was his last match before his death.
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The team paid tribute to Jota on X on Thursday.
The Portuguese Football Federation also released a statement Thursday which paid tribute to Jota and Silva, per ESPN.
A portion of the statement read:
“We have lost two champions. Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything we can to honour their legacy every day.”
The PFF asked UEFA to hold a moment of silence for the brothers ahead of Portugal’s game against Spain in the Women’s European Championship on Thursday.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who has an ownership stake in Liverpool, also sent his condolences to Jota, Silva and their families.
Silva was also an accomplished soccer player, spending time with both Gondomar S.C. and F.C. Penafiel in Portugal.
Jota’s death comes just 10 days after he married his partner, Rute Cardoso. The couple has three children together.
