Family, friends, and fans are mourning the tragic deaths of Liverpool striker Diogo Jota, 28, and his younger brother André Silva, 25, who died in a car crash in Spain. The brothers were driving a Lamborghini that veered off a highway near Zamora and caught fire just after midnight Thursday. Spanish police are still investigating, though no other vehicles were involved.
Their bodies were returned to Portugal, where a vigil was held at Capela da Ressurreição São Cosme, ahead of Saturday’s funeral. Grief filled the town of Gondomar—Jota’s birthplace—where he began his football journey.
Jota’s death comes just two weeks after marrying his longtime partner, Rute Cardoso. They had three children together. His brother Silva played for the Portuguese club Penafiel.
Tributes poured in across the football world. Liverpool fans left flowers and scarves outside Anfield, and a minute of silence was observed before a Portugal–Spain women’s match. Gondomar SC director Anselmo Serra recalled Jota’s deep connection to his hometown and childhood friends, saying, “He never forgot where he came from.”