The 20th minute in Bern belonged to Diogo Jota after 29,520 fans packed into the Stadion Wankdorf for the Women's 2025 Euro group stage matchup between Spain and Portugal. Chants of "Diogo Jota, ole" echoed across the arena in a gesture honoring the Portuguese international who died Thursday morning in a car crash.
The song was a tribute to Jota's No. 20 shirt, which he has worn since the 2020 season with Liverpool. Jota also wore the shirt for Portugal during the 2018-19 season before being called up to the senior level, where he would wear eight different numbers before settling on No. 21 for his country since 2022.
The crowd, regardless of national colors, rose in unison to celebrate the life of the late winger. Jota passed away alongside his brother Andre Silva following a car wreck in Zamora, Spain. Just hours later, Portugal's women's national team faced Spain the same day in a match that kicked off at 3 p.m. ET.
The match opened with a minute of silence for the brothers. From there, the game quickly turned into one-sided dominance.
Spain struck early after Esther Gonzalez found the back of the net in just the second minute and again before halftime. Vicky Lopez added a seventh-minute goal, followed by one from Aitana Bonmati in the 41st, and Cristina Martin-Prieto finished off the 5-0 win in stoppage time.
Portugal managed just one shot on target. Spain unleashed 22 attempts and dominated possession at 71.4 percent. But the final score faded behind the weight of the moment, and chants for Jota also flooded social media, with tons of tributes pouring in online. Cristiano Ronaldo, Jurgen Klopp, LeBron James, Sadio Mane, and several members of the Portuguese national team paid their respects to Jota. Former teammate Mohamed Salah even ended his vacation early to pay his respects.
Goalkeeper Diogo Costa, defender Diogo Dalot, and Liverpool star center-back Virgil Van Dijk were devastated and shocked by the news. Tottenham Hotspur released a club statement mourning Jota's death, the Reds added a tribute of their own, and so did manager Arne Slot.
"The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre. Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates, and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss," read the statement. "We will continue to provide them with our full support."
Jota made 49 appearances for Portugal's senior team, scoring 14 goals and helping guide them to two UEFA Nations League titles. The second victory came just last month, defeating Spain 5-3 on penalties in extra time after ending regulation 2-2. A ceremony for Jota and Andre Silva is scheduled for Friday in Sao Cosme, Gondomar, Portugal.