Diogo Jota And Brother Buried In Gondomar As Football World Mourns

The funeral of Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother, Andre Silva, was held today, Saturday, in Gondomar, near Porto, as tributes poured in from across the football world and beyond.

Jota, 28, and Silva, 25, were killed on Thursday after their car veered off a motorway in northwestern Spain and caught fire. The tragedy occurred just a week after Jota had married his partner, Rute Cardoso.

The funeral service, conducted by the bishop of Porto, began at 0900 GMT in the brothers’ hometown. In attendance were senior government officials, football figures, and close family members, including the players’ parents and their grandfather, who had to be assisted into the chapel.

Among those who came to pay their respects were Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, agent Jorge Mendes, and FC Porto president Andre Villas-Boas.

“Football is truly in mourning. Diogo was an icon of the talent Portuguese football represents,” said Portuguese Football Federation President Pedro Proenca.

Friday’s wake was attended first by immediate family and close friends, before being opened to the public. Mourners arrived with floral tributes, and many were visibly emotional.

In Liverpool, flags at Anfield were flown at half-mast while a book of condolences was opened. Supporters laid down shirts, scarves, flowers, and balloons, many bearing the message, “Rest in peace Diogo Jota.”

At the Diogo Jota Football Academy, located near Gondomar SC—where Jota began his football journey—a memorial quickly formed, filled with candles, jerseys, and handwritten messages. A note from a child simply read, “Thank you, Diogo Jota.”

Pedro Neves, a former classmate, described the late forward as “very friendly, very courteous, who loved everyone, who always had a smile on his face.”

“He left us too young, it’s not fair. But that’s how life is sometimes,” Neves said.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot expressed his condolences, stating that the club owed it to Jota to “stand together and be there for one another.” Former manager Jurgen Klopp, who signed Jota in 2020, said he was “heartbroken” by the news.

A one-minute silence was observed in Jota’s honour during the Club World Cup quarter-final between Fluminense and Al Hilal in Orlando on Friday.

According to reports, Jota had been en route to the northern Spanish port of Santander to board a ferry to England, following medical advice to avoid air travel due to a recent lung operation. He had posted a video of his June 22 wedding just hours before the accident. He and his wife shared three children.

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah said the news had left him “frightened” to return to the club, and pre-season training for several players has been postponed in light of the tragedy.

The football world continues to mourn the loss of a player widely respected not only for his talent but for his character—one whose legacy now lives on in the hearts of millions.