Reds in mourning: Diogo Jota dies in road accident

Diogo Jota, Liverpool's Portuguese striker, died in a road accident at the age of 28. His brother also died in the accident, which took place on a motorway in southern Spain.

The world of football is in mourning following the news that Diogo Jota, Portuguese international striker for Liverpool FC, died in a road accident on Thursday 3 July 2025, aged 28.

The accident occurred early in the morning on the A-52 motorway, near Palacios de Sanabria, in the province of Zamora in north-west Spain. According to the initial investigation, the vehicle in which Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, also a professional footballer (with Penafiel in the Portuguese D2) were travelling, left the carriageway before bursting into flames. The two brothers, aged 28 and 26 respectively, died instantly. According to the Spanish Guardia Civil, the tragedy was caused by a burst tyre while overtaking.

This tragic accident comes less than two weeks after Diogo Jota married his long-time partner, Rute Cardoso, on 22 June in Porto. The couple had three children.

Diogo Jota arrived at Liverpool in 2020 from Wolves for €49 million, and established himself as a key player for the Reds, helping them to the English league title last season. He also won 49 caps for the Portuguese national team, with whom he had just won the UEFA Nations League.

Diogo Jota's sudden death has caused a stir in the sporting world, with Liverpool saying they were ‘devastated’ by the loss, while the Portuguese Prime Minister paid tribute to the memory of ‘an athlete who honoured the name of Portugal’.

(MH with LM - Sources : BBC, TF1, Footmercato - Picture : picture alliance/dpa/Revierfoto)