Liverpool’s Diogo Jota, Brother Laid to Rest in Portugal After Fatal Crash

A funeral service was held Saturday morning for Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who died in a car crash on Thursday near Zamora, Spain. The ceremony took place at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in their hometown of Gondomar, near Porto in northern Portugal.

Jota, 28, is survived by his wife, Rute Cardoso—whom he married just 11 days before the crash—and their three young children. Cardoso was seen visibly emotional as pallbearers carried her husband’s coffin into the church.

Mourners, including local residents and football fans, lined the streets and applauded as the brothers’ coffins arrived at the church. Numerous current and former Liverpool players were in attendance, alongside members of the Portuguese national team.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot, captain Virgil van Dijk, and players such as Andy Robertson, Conor Bradley, Curtis Jones, Darwin Núñez, Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch, and Joe Gomez paid their respects at the service. Van Dijk carried a wreath marked with Jota’s number 20, while Robertson held one with number 30, representing Silva’s number at Portuguese club FC Penafiel.

Portugal international and Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes also attended the ceremony, joining a crowd that included many from the wider football community who gathered to honour the lives of the two brothers.

The tragic accident has sent shockwaves through Portuguese and international football circles, with tributes continuing to pour in for Jota and Silva.