The Digest:
In a somber moment of "Global Football Remembrance," Liverpool and Portugal star Diogo Jota, along with his younger brother Andre Silva, were laid to rest on Saturday in their hometown of Gondomar, Portugal. The funeral, attended by grieving family, friends, and prominent figures from the football world, followed their tragic death in a car crash in Spain on July 3, 2025, just a week after Jota's wedding.
Key Points:
- Diogo Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 25, died after their car veered off a Spanish motorway and caught fire.
- The tragedy occurred shortly after Jota had shared a video of his June 22 wedding to Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children.
- The funeral ceremony at the Mother Church of Gondomar saw a large turnout, including Jota's wife, parents, and grandfather.
- Notable attendees from the football fraternity included Portugal teammates like Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Danilo Pereira, João Felix, and coach Roberto Martinez.
- Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk carried a wreath in the form of Jota's number 20 shirt and was joined by teammates like Darwin Nunez and coach Arne Slot.
- Dignitaries such as Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Luis Montenegro also offered their condolences, alongside Jota's agent Jorge Mendes and Porto president Andre Villas-Boas.
- The football world expressed widespread grief, with Liverpool opening a book of condolences, lowering flags to half-mast, and fans creating memorials outside Anfield.
- Tributes extended globally, with a minute's silence observed at the Club World Cup in the US and women's Euro 25 matches.
- Reports indicated Jota was traveling to England by ferry to avoid a flight due to medical advice following a recent lung operation.
Sources: Vanguard
