The Portuguese national player Diogo Jota of FC Liverpool has died in a car accident.
The Portuguese national player Diogo Jota died in a car accident in Spain on Thursday morning.
The FC Liverpool offensive player was 28 years old. His two-year-younger brother André Silva, striker at the Brazilian club Cabofriense, also died in the tragic incident. This was officially confirmed by the Portuguese Football Federation.
“With almost 50 appearances for the A-national team, Diogo Jota was much more than just a fantastic player. He was an extraordinary person who was respected by all of his teammates and opponents, someone with contagious joy and a reference in the community itself,” the association wrote in its statement.
Jota moved to Liverpool and Klopp in 2020
Jota began his career at Gondomar SC in his Portuguese homeland. He moved to Atlético Madrid via Pacos Ferreira. The Spanish club loaned the 49-time national player to Porto and Wolverhampton.
Later he moved permanently to the Wolves before making the leap to Liverpool in 2020. The Reds paid a transfer fee of around 45 million euros.
Under the then coach Jürgen Klopp, Jota became cup winner and league cup winner. In the past season he celebrated the championship title under Klopp’s successor Arne Slot.
With Portugal, the striker won the Nations League in 2019 and 2025. In 398 competitive games he scored 136 goals and provided 66 assists.
Only about two weeks ago, Jota married his longtime girlfriend Rute Cardoso in Porto. He leaves behind three children.