Image Credits: Imago Images
Portugal paid an emotional tribute to Diogo Jota ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against DR Congo on Wednesday.
As the national anthem played, a tribute message for Jota was displayed on the big screen, before cameras cut to his parents in the stands, who were visibly emotional as they watched the stadium honour their son.
Portugal players are wearing special wristbands as a deeply personal tribute to Diogo Jota. The former Liverpool forward, who earned 49 caps for Portugal and scored 14 international goals, tragically died alongside his brother André Silva in a car accident in northwestern Spain last year.
The green and red wristbands were presented to the squad by Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro during a pre-tournament gathering.
Each band carries the names of every member of the current World Cup squad, as well as Jota’s name. They were specifically designed to comply with FIFA’s equipment regulations, allowing them to be worn during matches.
Vitinha confirmed the decision to wear the wristbands in Portugal’s Group K opener was made collectively by the squad. The PSG midfielder said: “Basically, the story of the wristband is, when we went to meet with the Prime Minister, he offered us this wristband.
“They made sure that it was a wristband that we could wear on the pitch. It has all the specifics for us to be able to enter the pitch with it, with the name of all the players, plus the special name of Diogo Jota.
“He let us choose if we wanted to use it or not, how [we use it], during the day or during the match. “We received it with a lot of affection, and we chose to use it.”
Portugal coach Roberto Martínez has been vocal about the squad drawing strength from Diogo Jota’s tragic passing throughout the tournament, while also focusing on honouring his legacy.
He told The Athletic: “Diogo is our light. Diogo is our reference of wanting to do or needing to do what his dream was, which was winning titles for Portugal, like he did, winning the Nations League. He was a big part of what we built in the dressing room.
“He wanted to win the World Cup, so it becomes a bit of a responsibility, an example, because Diogo was the pure example of believing in whatever could be possible, always with that tenacity, always finding the answer in the right moment in the difficult moment in the game.”
In loving memory of Diogo Jota 🕊️🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/wDb7wjN9OO
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 17, 2026
Diogo Jota’s parents are at Portugal’s opening World Cup match 🙏 pic.twitter.com/PtRVV2ec3h
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 17, 2026