Liverpool FC striker Diogo Jota died at the age of 28. © ANSA / Instagram/@liverpoolfc

Football world shocked: “It doesn’t make sense”

Cristiano Ronaldo and Jürgen Klopp are deeply saddened and stunned; fans in Liverpool laid flowers. The football world is in shock following the death of Portugal international Diogo Jota.

July 03, 2025

From: dpa/dl

The accidental death of the 28-year-old from Liverpool FC and his three-year-younger brother André Silva triggers immense grief. Diogo Jota was recently married and leaves behind three children.

"This doesn't make sense," Ronaldo wrote on social media. "We were just on the national team together, you had just gotten married." Ronaldo, who was Diogo Jota's captain on the national team, wished his widow and three children all the strength in the world. "I know you will always be with them. Rest in peace, Diogo and André. We will miss you all."

"We were just on the national team together, you had just gotten married. That doesn't make sense." Cristiano Ronaldo

Diogo Jota, who also played under star coach Klopp at Liverpool and would have been Florian Wirtz's teammate next season, shared a wedding video on Instagram shortly before his death in Spain. "A day we will never forget," he captioned it.

"This is a moment where I'm wrestling with myself!" Klopp wrote on Instagram. "There must be a greater purpose! I can't see it though! It breaks my heart to hear of the deaths of Diogo and his brother André."

“This is a moment where I wrestle with myself!” Former coach Jürgen Klopp

Diogo Jota celebrated his championship with Liverpool FC at the end of May with, among other things, a family photo of him, his wife Rute Cardoso, and their three children posing on the pitch with the Champions League trophy. Another photo shows the family with three dogs.

By winning the Premier League title, the top footballer had fulfilled a childhood dream. "It's a remarkable achievement for a young boy who comes from Gondomar, where I had this dream," he said. "To arrive at this moment was outstanding." His gruesome death also caused dismay in the political arena. Portugal's Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed their condolences.

Burst tire as a possible cause of the accident

"Initial investigations indicate that a blown tire may have caused the accident. However, an investigation is ongoing, the results of which must be awaited and will only be available in a few days," the responsible police told the German Press Agency. The car left the roadway and caught fire. "The victims could only be identified based on personal documents."

Diogo Jota and his brother were involved in a car accident. © ANSA / Credit AFP/El Mundo Castilla y L

Before the police and the Portuguese Football Federation confirmed the deaths, several media outlets had reported the accident on the A52 motorway near the municipality of Cernadilla in the province of Zamora. Shortly after the news broke, fans laid wreaths at Anfield Road in Liverpool. The flag on Liverpool City Hall flew at half-mast.

Great career at Liverpool

Diogo Jota has played for Liverpool since September 2020. Before winning the championship last season, he had already won the FA Cup with the Reds in 2022 and the League Cup in 2022 and 2024.

Diogo Jota scored 65 goals in 182 games for Liverpool. © APA/afp / BENJAMIN CREMEL

"Liverpool Football Club is devastated by the tragic death of Diogo Jota," the club said. Liverpool asked for "the privacy of Diogo and André's family, friends, teammates, and club staff to be respected." "We will continue to offer them our full support."

The striker made 49 appearances for Portugal, scoring 14 goals. Diogo Jota participated in last year's European Championship in Germany, among other tournaments. He recently won the Nations League with his home country.