Family, friends, football fans, and prominent Liverpool stars gathered on Friday in Gondomar, northern Portugal, to pay their final respects to Portuguese international Diogo Jota and his younger brother, André Silva, following their tragic deaths in a car crash.
The somber joint funeral took place at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar, where mourners lined the streets as the brothers’ coffins were carried by pallbearers, including former teammates and close friends. In one poignant moment, Jota’s wife, Rute Cardoso, placed her hand gently on his coffin as it was brought into the church.
Several Liverpool players past and present attended the funeral, including Virgil Van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Jordan Henderson, Alexis Mac Allister, James Milner, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch, Federico Chiesa, Darwin Nunez, Joe Gomez, and goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. Liverpool’s new manager, Arne Slot, was also present.
Former Liverpool midfielder Fabinho, now playing elsewhere, joined fellow footballers Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Diogo Dalot, Jota Silva, and Portugal teammate Ruben Neves to mourn their fallen friend.
Portugal’s national team coach Roberto Martinez and former manager Fernando Santos also attended the service, alongside Jota’s agent Jorge Mendes, who was seen consoling the family. President of FC Porto, Andre Villas-Boas, joined the crowd of mourners, reinforcing the deep national sorrow over the loss.
Jota and Silva died on Thursday when their Lamborghini Huracan reportedly suffered a tyre blowout while overtaking on the A-52 highway in Zamora, Spain. The vehicle veered off the road, rolled several times, and caught fire, killing both brothers instantly.
The devastating accident occurred just weeks after Jota, 28, married his longtime partner Rute Cardoso in Gondomar. The brothers were reportedly driving to Santander to catch a ferry to the UK, having chosen not to fly due to Jota’s recent lung surgery.
Nelson Semedo, a former Wolverhampton Wanderers teammate of Jota, and several other Portuguese players who had shared the pitch with him, also came to pay their respects. The emotionally charged farewell was marked by tributes, tears, and silent prayers as the football world united in grief over the immense loss.
👍