Mourners are gathering in Diogo Jota's home town in Portugal to honour the Liverpool footballer.
The 28-year-old father of three died in a car crash in Spain on Thursday, alongside his brother Andre Silva, after a Lamborghini they were travelling in veered off the road and burst into flames following a suspected tyre blowout.
The pair were found dead following the crash on the A-52 in Palacios de Sanabria, near the city of Zamora, at 12.40am. Jota had been on his way to catch a ferry back to the UK ahead of the start of Liverpool's pre-season training.
When is the funeral?
The bodies of Jota and Silva arrived in their home town of Gondomar, Porto, on Friday.
ADVERTISEMENT
The funeral for the brothers will take place at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar, a Catholic church in Sao Cosme, at 10am local time on Saturday.
CORRECTION / The hearses carrying the bodies of Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva leave the funeral home in Puebla de Sanabria, in the Spanish northwestern province of Zamora, on July 3, 2025, heading to their hometown of Gondomar, Portugal, where their funeral will be held on Saturday. Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother died in a car crash in Spain today, police said, sparking widespread grief just after the Portugal star had got married. (Photo by Cesar Manso / AFP) /
Hearses carrying the bodies of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva leave Puebla de Sanabria in Spain on Thursday. (AFP via Getty Images)
Floral tributes to Diogo Jota outside Anfield, Liverpool, on Friday 4 July. (REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja)
Floral tributes to Diogo Jota outside Anfield, Liverpool, on Friday 4 July. (REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja)
It is not known if Jota's Liverpool colleagues will be attending the funeral. On Friday, the club announced it has postponed the squad's return to training following the summer break.
Portugal's prime minister Luis Montenegro joined members of Jota’s family for a private wake on Friday. Montenegro spent half an hour with the family before leaving without making a statement. A public wake is expected to take place at the Capela da Ressurreicao at 4pm local time.
Who is Jota's family?
Jota had only married his long-term partner, Rute Cardoso, on 22 June, having proposed in 2022.
On Wednesday, the day before his death, Jota and Cardoso, 28, posted video footage of their wedding on Instagram with the caption: “A day we will never forget.”
ADVERTISEMENT
They got together in 2013, it has been reported, and had three children: two sons and a daughter who was born in November last year. They were all by his side as he celebrated Liverpool’s Premier League title win in May.
He frequently shared pictures of himself and his family on his Instagram account, while his wife has posted images of their holidays in Dubai and Lapland.
Jota with his family on the Anfield pitch in 2022. (Getty Images)
Jota with his family on the Anfield pitch in 2022. (Getty Images)
TORRES VEDRAS, PORTUGAL - DECEMBER 22: Andre Silva of FC Penafiel in action during the Liga Portugal 2 Meu Super match between SCU Torreense and FC Penafiel at Estadio Manuel Marques on December 22, 2024 in Torres Vedras, Portugal. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)
Andre Silva in action for Penafiel in December last year. (Getty Images)
Jota grew up in Gondomar and his parents Joaquim and Isabel were still paying for him to play for the local club until the age of 16.
His brother, Andre Silva, was also a professional footballer and played for Liga Portugal 2 side Penafiel.
Their distraught mother, as well as Cardoso, were seen leaving a morgue in Puebla de Sanabria, north-west Spain, on Thursday where the footballers' bodies were taken following the fatal car accident.
'The bloke I loved and will miss like crazy'
Liverpool team-mates Caoimhin Kelleher and Andy Robertson were known to be among Jota's closest friends, and penned heartfelt tributes on social media.
ADVERTISEMENT
Goalkeeper Kelleher, who recently left the club for Brentford, said on Instagram: "You became one of my closest friends in football. We bonded over all things sports, watching any football match we could find: often your brother Andre’s game on your iPad.
"I was surprised a lad from Portugal loved sports such as darts, snooker and horse racing so much and some of my best memories were having a laugh watching them with you.
Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson wiped away tears after leaving flowers and paying his respects to former teammate Jota outside Anfield on Friday. (REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja)
Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson wiped away tears after leaving flowers and paying his respects to former teammate Jota outside Anfield on Friday. (REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 01: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Diogo Jota and Caoimhin Kelleher of Liverpool during a training session on August 01, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Diogo Jota and Caoimhin Kelleher ahead of a training session last year. (Getty Images)
"You were such a fun, genuine, normal down-to-earth and loving family man.
"I feel so blessed and grateful to have seen you on your happiest day, the day of your wedding, and to be able to share in that day with you was special. I’ll never forget it.
"It’s gonna hurt for a long time and I’m gonna miss you so much, but I feel so lucky to have got [to] know you and have such a good friend."
ADVERTISEMENT
Robertson, who also attended Jota's wedding, said: "I could talk about him as a player for hours, but none of that feels like it matters right now. It’s the man. The person. He was such a good guy. The best. So genuine. Just normal and real. Full of love for the people he cared about. Full of fun.
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - JANUARY 03: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Andy Robertson and Diogo Jota of Liverpool during a Liverpool training session at AXA Training Centre on January 03, 2025 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Andy Robertson and Diogo Jota during a training session in January. (Getty Images)
"We’d watch the darts together, enjoy the horse racing. Going to Cheltenham this season was a highlight - one of the best we had.
"The last time I saw him was the happiest day of his life - his wedding day. I want to remember his never-ceasing smile from that magical day. How much he was bursting with love for his wife and family.
"I can’t believe we’re saying goodbye. It’s too soon, and it hurts so much."
Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who had worked with Jota for one year, said: "When I first came to the club, one of the first songs I got to know was the one that our fans sing for Diogo. I had not worked with him previously but I knew straight away that if the Liverpool supporters, who have seen so many great players over the years, had such a unique chant for Diogo, he must have special qualities."
Cristiano Ronaldo centre-forward of Portugal and Al-Nassr FC and Diogo Jota left winger of Portugal and Liverpool FC during the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match between Portugal and Czechia at Football Stadium Leipzig on June 18, 2024 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Cristiano Ronaldo and Diogo Jota playing for Portugal in Euro 2024. (Getty Images)
Portugal team captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the UEFA Nations League final alongside Jota last month, had been among the first to pay tribute on Thursday, saying: “Doesn’t make any sense. Just now we were together in the national team, just now you were married.
“To your family, to your wife and children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world."
Tributes also came from public figures such as the Prince of Wales, Sir Keir Starmer and Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, president of Portugal.
Read more