Gondomar, Portugal | July 4, 2025
A somber silence fell over São Cosme Chapel in Gondomar today as the coffins of Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota and his younger brother André Silva arrived in their Portuguese hometown. The brothers, aged 28 and 25 respectively, tragically lost their lives in a devastating car crash on Wednesday night while traveling along Spain’s treacherous A-52 highway near Cernadilla.
Heartbreaking scenes unfolded as Jota’s widow, Rute Cardoso – who had celebrated their wedding just eleven days prior – stood alongside their three children, including their infant daughter, to receive the brothers’ remains. The grieving family was joined by Jota’s mother Isabel and grandfather, their sorrow mirrored by the football community worldwide. Preliminary reports suggest a catastrophic tire blowout caused their vehicle to spin out of control before bursting into flames, leaving emergency responders unable to save the brothers.
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is expected to pay his respects at tomorrow’s wake, reflecting the national significance of the tragedy. The football world has been united in grief, with emotional tributes pouring in from Cristiano Ronaldo, former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, and current Reds boss Arne Slot. The brothers will be laid to rest following a 10am funeral service at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar, though it remains uncertain whether the profoundly personal ceremony will be open to the public.
This heartbreaking incident has cast a pall over the football community, with Jota’s electrifying performances for Liverpool and Portugal having endeared him to millions of fans. The dangerous stretch of road where the accident occurred has come under renewed scrutiny, with local residents long having warned about its lethal reputation. As tributes continue to flood in from across the sporting world, the focus now turns to supporting the young family left behind and honoring the legacy of a player whose brilliance on the pitch was matched only by his devotion to family off it.
