Liverpool FC forward Diogo Jota has died following a tragic car accident in Spain, the Guardia Civil has confirmed. The 28-year-old footballer and his brother, André Silva, were both killed in the early hours of Thursday morning after the Lamborghini they were travelling in left the road in Zamora, reportedly due to a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle.
The shocking news has rocked football fans across the region, with many in Rochdale and Greater Manchester among those mourning the Portuguese international, who had been a key player for Liverpool since signing in 2020.
The tragedy comes just weeks after Jota married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso in a ceremony in Porto, which the couple shared on social media, captioning it: “A day we will never forget 🤍”.
Jota began his professional career with Paços de Ferreira before joining Atlético Madrid in 2016. He enjoyed loan spells at FC Porto and Wolverhampton Wanderers, helping the latter earn promotion to the Premier League before joining them permanently and scoring 44 goals in 131 appearances. He made a £41 million move to Liverpool in 2020, becoming a fan favourite at Anfield.
On the international stage, Jota was capped for Portugal’s senior team from 2019, featuring in two European Championships and the 2022 World Cup. He was also part of the squads that won the UEFA Nations League in both 2019 and 2025.
His younger brother André was also a professional footballer, playing for Portuguese second-tier side Penafiel at the time of his death.