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Portugal is beset by grief following the tragic deaths of Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva in a car accident on Thursday.
The brothers’ bodies arrived in Gondomar late on the night of Thursday, July 3, 23 hours after the tragic accident, where they are now being mourned in the Capela da Ressurreição. Saturday morning at 10am, a funeral is scheduled at Igreja Matriz.
The brothers were killed in a fiery collision on the A 52 near Puebla de Sanabria in Spain, only 10 kilometers from the Portuguese Border. Their Lamborghini Huracán veered off the road, overturned, and burst into flames after a tyre reportedly blew out during an overtaking manoeuvre. As the fire spread, emergency services could not save them. The poor condition of the road surface is one of the factors that are being investigated as a cause of the accident.
Diogo Jota and André Silva’s remains welcomed home with cheers and tears
Scores of people, including family members, friends and other athletes, gathered at Gondomar to show their respect. Applause, tears and poignant silence greeted the vehicles that carried their bodies. Father José Manuel Macedo, the local parish priest, expressed sympathy, saying, “We are here to celebrate their lives, share the pain, and offer Christian hope.”
Jota, 28, and André, 26, were en route to Santander to catch a ferry to the UK, as Jota, who had recently recovered from lung surgery, was advised against flying. The pair were scheduled to arrive in Plymouth for Liverpool’s preparations for the pre-season on Friday. Jota married Rute, his childhood sweetheart and mother of his three children in Porto just a few short days earlier. Cardoso responded to his final post on social media with “I am the luckiest person in the world to become your husband.”
“An unimaginable loss” – tributes paid to footballing brothers
The football world is in shock. Liverpool, the club where Jota has played since 2020, called it “an unimaginable tragedy”. Fans left jerseys, flowers and messages at Anfield. Manager Arne Slot wrote: “We loved him both as a player and person.” Jota was praised by the Portuguese Football Federation for his “extraordinary” talents and infectious joy. He has received nearly 50 caps with Portugal. Federation president Pedro Proença requested a minute’s silence before Portugal’s women’s European Championship match against Spain.
Cristiano Ronaldo shared his grief with him: “We had just been together recently, as a team, but now this. My prayers are with his family, including his wife and kids. Rest in peace, Diogo and André.”
Jota has left behind a legacy that includes three titles, including 2024/25 Premier League where he scored 6 goals in 26 games, as well as a crucial role in Portugal’s recent Nations League win. Portugal is saying goodbye, but the memory of the brothers lingers on in football fans’ hearts around the globe.
