The Liverpool forward was laid to rest alongside his brother Andre Silva at a church in Gondomar, near the Portuguese city of Porto.
17:08, 05 Jul 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo missed Diogo Jota's funeral
Cristiano Ronaldo missed Diogo Jota's funeral(Image: Mikolaj Barbanell/Getty Images)
Cristiano Ronaldo was not in attendance at the funeral of Diogo Jota on Saturday morning as he didn't want to overshadow his teammates final farewell.
The Liverpool forward was laid to rest alongside his brother Andre Silva at a church in Gondomar, near the Portuguese city of Porto after the pair tragically died alongside each other in a horror car crash in Spain.
Jota's Liverpool teammates and players from the Portugal national team, as well as former teammates from Wolves were all among mourners who travelled to Portugal to pay their respects.
Diogo Jota after scoring a goal
Diogo Jota passed away on Thursday(Image: Michael Regan, Getty Images)
As the Mirror reports, Reds captain Virgil van Dijk and Scotland captain Andy Robertson were seen carrying red floral tributes into the church. Portugal stars Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and best pal Ruben Neves were also present inside the Chapel of Resurrection.
Neves, who starred alongside Jota for Wolves and Portugal helped carry the coffin into the church, having flown over from the United States after playing at the Club World Cup less than 24 hours earlier.
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However, one notable absentee, was Ronald who is Portugal captain. Mirror football understands Ronald was wary of his presence in the tiny town of Gondomar overshadowing the day. He has reportedly been keeping a low profile in recent days, surrounded by his family.
Ronaldo was quick to pay an emotional tribute to Jota on social media after the tragic news broke of his death on Thursday.
Dozens of figures from the world of football attended the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva
Dozens of figures from the world of football attended the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva(Image: Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
The world superstar wrote: "It doesn't make sense. We were just together in the national team, and you had just gotten married.
"To your family, your wife and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. Rest in peace, Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you."
Van Dijk and Robertson were joined by fellow Liverpool stars Curtis Jones, Alexis MacAllister, Harvey Elliott, Watura Endo, Darwin Nunez, Federico Chiesa and manager Arne Slot.
Ex-Liverpool players in Caoimhin Kelleher, Jordan Henderson and James Milner were also present.
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Jota and his brother died after the Lamborghini they were travelling in spun off the road in north west Spain and caught fire in the early hours of Thursday morning. The funeral followed a private wake on Friday, which was attended by Jota's wife Rute Cardoso, who he married last month, and the player's family.
Reacting to the heartbreaking news, the Portuguese Football Federation said in a statement: “Diogo Jota was not only a fantastic player with almost 50 caps for the national team, but also an extraordinary person who was respected by all his team-mates and opponents. He had a contagious joy and was a reference point in his own community.
“On behalf of the Portuguese Football Federation and myself, I would like to offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends of Diogo and Andre as well as Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the respective clubs of the players.
“We have lost two champions. Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything we can to honour their legacy every day.”
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