Diogo Jota's family life, from childhood sweetheart wife to three young kids
Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, were both killed in a car accident when their car left the road and burst into flames in the northern province of Zamora.
Tributes have poured in from around the world, with Liverpool releasing a statement saying they have been left 'devastated' by the 'unimaginable loss'.
Follow Metro's live blog for full coverage of Diogo Jota's death
Jota scored 65 goals in 182 games for Liverpool after moving from Wolves in 2020 and is survived by his wife and three young kids.
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Jota's tragic passing comes less than two weeks after he married Rute Cardoso, the mother of his three children.
The couple had been in a relationship since 2012, and are childhood sweathearts, having attended the same high school together in Porto.
Cardoso was regularly seen in the stands watching Jota player, documenting her travels following him play for both club and country. https://www.instagram.com/p/CQeqWToHdPc/?utm_source=ig_embed
Jota proposed to Cardoso in July 2022 at a lakeside setting and, less than a fortnight ago, the pair got married in their hometime of Porto.
In his last post on social media prior to his death, Jota shared an emotional video from the pair's wedding day, captioning the post: 'A day we will never forget'.
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Only 48 hours ago, Cardoso released more photos of her wedding-day outfit, labelling it 'My dream come true'. In the comments, Jota responded: 'But I'm the lucky one'.
Jota and Rute had three children together and three pet beagles.
They have a son named Dinis, who was born in 2021, Another son, Duarte, was born in 2023, and a third child, a daughter, was born in 2024. The name of the youngest child has never been revealed.
The couple regularly shared pictures of their family online, most recently following Liverpool's Premier League title win in May this year.
Jota's brother, Andre Silva, was also a professional footballer and played for Portuguese second division side Penafiel.
Silva came through the Porto youth set-up before leaving to join Pacos de Ferreira in 2017, where Jota had played in the previous two seasons.
The midfielder later had spells at Familicao and Boavista before spending two seasons at lower division side Gondomar. In July 2023, he joined Penafiel.
Porto, where Jota also spent a season as a player, said they were in 'shock' at the brothers' passing.
'Porto is in mourning. It is with shock and deep regret that we send our most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who was also our youth player. May they rest in peace,' the statement said.
While many players spend their teenage years in academies, Jota was still playing for his local club Gondomar until the age of 16. More Trending
And with no income to chase his dreams, Jota's ambitions were financed by his parents Joaquim and Isabel who paid for him to continue playing football until he got his first break.
'It was not me paying, it was my parents,' he told Sky Sports in 2022.
'In Portugal, things are different to England. I was playing for a small club and we had to pay monthly to be able to play.
'It was only when I was transferred to Pacos [de Ferreira in 2013] that I started to receive some money.'
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Western Telegraph
25 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Mourners to gather in Portugal for wake of Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota
The 28-year-old father of three, who had married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso just 11 days ago, died in a car crash in Spain alongside his brother Andre Silva after a Lamborghini they were travelling in veered off the road and burst into flames following a suspected tyre blowout. The pair were found dead following the crash on the A-52 in Palacios de Sanabria near the city of Zamora at 12.40am on Thursday. Jose Manuel Macedo, parish priest at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in Sao Cosme, told the PA news agency in a translated message that a wake for the brothers will take place at 8am at the nearby Capela da Ressurreicao before their funeral at the Igreja Matriz on Saturday at 10am. Liverpool manager Arne Slot said the 'sense of shock is absolute' for the club. 'Diogo was not just our player,' he said. 'He was a loved one to all of us. Tributes have been left at Anfield Stadium in memory of Jota (Peter Byrne/PA) 'I could say so much about what he brought to our team but the truth is everyone who watched Diogo play could see it. Hard work, desire, commitment, great quality, goals. 'The essence of what a Liverpool player should be.' Slot said the player 'never sought popularity' but gained it anyway and was a friend to everyone, able to make others feel good about themselves 'just by being with them'. Portugal fans held up tributes to the player (Nick Potts/PA) He said the last time they spoke he wished Jota luck for his upcoming wedding. 'In many ways, it was a dream summer for Diogo and his family, which makes it all the more heartbreaking that it should end like this,' Slot added. He recalled learning, when he first came to the club, of the song Liverpool fans sang for Jota and said he knew 'straight away' that meant the player must have 'special qualities'. 'When the time is right, we will celebrate Diogo Jota, we will remember his goals and we will sing his song,' Slot said. 'For the time being, we will remember him as a unique human being and mourn his loss. He will never be forgotten.' The club has opened physical and digital books of condolence in the wake of the deaths, and supporters and members of the public can go to the Anfield Road Stand reception area over the coming days to sign a message. The online book can be found at Flags have been lowered to half-mast at the stadium and all club stores, museums and tours have been closed until Monday, with staff offered wellbeing support. The Portuguese Football Federation also said it was 'devastated' to learn of the deaths, adding: 'Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football.' Police said they were investigating the possibility that the Lamborghini left the road because of a tyre blowout while overtaking, and a source from the government sub-delegation in Zamora confirmed 'a possible speeding incident' was being looked at. No other vehicles are said to have been involved in the incident. Pictures of the aftermath of the crash showed debris scattered along the side of the road including what appeared to be charred parts of the vehicle. Liverpool fans started leaving tributes outside Anfield on Thursday morning, with flowers being laid with messages including 'Thanks for everything, Diogo'. Tributes outside Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton (Matthew Cooper/PA) Jota was part of Liverpool's Premier League-winning side in the 2024/25 campaign, scoring six goals in 26 appearances. He joined the Merseyside club from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020, winning three major trophies. Portugal national team captain Cristiano Ronaldo said he wishes Jota's family 'all the strength in the world' following the Liverpool forward's death. A translated version of his message on Instagram said: 'Doesn't make any sense. 'Just now we were together in the national team, just now you were married. 'To your family, to your wife and children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. 'I know you will always be with them. R.I.P. Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you.' The Prince of Wales, patron of the FA, said he was 'deeply saddened' to hear of Jota's death, adding: 'Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all who knew him.' Jota and his wife got together in 2013, it has been reported, and have three children together – two sons and a daughter who was born in November. He frequently shared pictures of himself and his family on his Instagram account, while his wife has posted images of their holidays in Dubai and Lapland. They also have three pet beagles. On Wednesday, Jota and Cardoso, 28, posted video footage of their wedding, with the caption: 'A day we will never forget.'
Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Chelsea will allow Pedro Neto to decide if he plays against Palmeiras so soon after tragic passing of his close friend and former team-mate Diogo Jota
Chelsea are leaving it to Pedro Neto to decide whether he wants to play in their Club World Cup clash versus Palmeiras on Friday so soon after the passing of his close friend, Diogo Jota. Neto missed training with his team-mates on Thursday morning in Miami after learning of the tragic news. He played with Jota at Wolves and for the Portugal national team. Chelsea are preparing to play Palmeiras in this competition's quarter-finals in the United States but are unsure whether they will be with Neto, who has been offered compassionate leave. Enzo Maresca told us at his presser in Philly: 'It is completely Pedro's decision. 'I had a chat with Pedro this morning. Any decision he will take is the correct one and we are going to support him in any case. Whether he will be on the pitch tomorrow or not, in any case we are going to support him. 'It's a very sad day. I struggle to find the words, it's very difficult. The feeling you have is you are a little helpless in this situation. All my love to his family. 'Pedro is very sad, probably more than sad, but we are all so close to Pedro to support him in this moment.' Meanwhile, Romeo Lavia also missed training in Miami on Thursday and Maresca revealed how he felt a muscular issue at the end of their last win over Benfica. He described it as 'small', though it could leave Chelsea with a midfield dilemma as Moises Caicedo is suspended for Palmeiras. Joao Pedro could theoretically make his debut for the Blues after signing from Brighton for £55million, though Maresca suggested he needs more time to train with him. 'Joao's situation is a bit strange or different because he was on holiday,' Maresca said. 'He was working by himself, but not yet with the team. We are really happy with Joao over the last few days. We'll see if need him tomorrow, and if we have the chance we are going to give him some minutes.'
South Wales Guardian
31 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Friday's briefing: ‘Shocked' Liverpool players pay tribute to Diogo Jota
World champions Spain started their bid for Euro 2025 glory with an impressive 5-0 win over Portugal in Bern, where a minute's silence was held ahead of kick-off. Slot said the Reds were in 'absolute shock' after the death of the 28-year-old Portugal forward and his brother Andre Silva in Spain in the early hours of Thursday. 'What to say? What can anyone say at a time like this when the shock and the pain is so incredibly raw? I wish I had the words, but I know I do not,' Slot wrote in a personal statement published on the club's website. Arne Slot statement: — Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 3, 2025 'All I have are feelings that I know so many people will share about a person and a player we loved dearly and a family we care so much about. 'For us as a club, the sense of shock is absolute. Diogo was not just our player. He was a loved one to all of us. He was a team-mate, a colleague, a workmate and in all of those roles he was very special. 'We need everyone at the club to stand together and to be there for one another. We owe this to Diogo, to Andre Silva, to their wider family and to ourselves.' According to BBC Sport, Jota was returning for pre-season training next week via ferry after being advised not to fly following minor surgery. Reds captain Virgil van Dijk said on Instragram he was 'absolutely devastated and in total disbelief.' The Dutch defender wrote in a post alongside a picture of Jota with the Premier League trophy: 'What a human being, what a player, but most importantly what an unbelievable family man. 'You meant so much to all of us and you always will! For your family to lose two sons, a husband and a father is just unimaginable. So cruel and unfair. 'My heart is breaking for all of your beautiful family, for Rute and for your kids. I promise you that in these difficult times and beyond we will always be there for your family. 'A champion forever, number 20 forever. It's been a privilege to have stood by your side on the pitch, and to have been your friend off it. 'We will miss you beyond words and never forget you. Your legacy will live on, we will make sure of it! Rest in perfect peace Diogo & Andre.' Mourners are set to gather to honour Jota at a wake in Portugal on Friday morning, a local parish priest has said. Jose Manuel Macedo, parish priest at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in Sao Cosme, told the PA news agency in a translated message that a wake for the brothers will take place at 8am at the nearby Capela da Ressurreicao before their funeral at the Igreja Matriz on Saturday at 10am. A five-star display from Spain 🤩 #WEURO2025 — UEFA Women's EURO 2025 (@WEURO2025) July 3, 2025 World champions Spain thrashed Portugal 5-0 in their Euro 2025 Group B opener in Bern, where there was a minute's silence ahead of kick-off in memory of Jota. Players wore black armbands, while some fans had made signs in tribute to the Liverpool forward. Esther Gonzalez fired Spain ahead with barely 90 seconds on the clock before Barcelona teenager Vicky Lopez doubled the lead in the seventh minute. La Roja scored another couple of quickfire goals just before half-time through Alexia Putellas and Gonzalez's tap-in, with substitute Cristina Martin-Prieto then heading home a fifth in stoppage time. In Thursday's other Group B match, Italy beat Belgium 1-0 in Sion through a first-half goal from Arianna Caruso. Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits he is struggling to comprehend Jota's death. Klopp, for whom his Christian faith has played a big part in his life, wrote on Instagram: 'This is a moment where I struggle! There must be a bigger purpose! But I can't see it!' The German coach, who signed Jota from Wolves in 2020, added: 'I'm heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre. 'Diogo was not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father.' Não faz sentido. Ainda agora estávamos juntos na Seleção, ainda agora tinhas casado. À tua familia, à tua mulher e aos teus filhos, envio os meus sentimentos e desejo-lhes toda a força do mundo. Sei que estarás sempre com eles. Descansem em Paz, Diogo e André. Vamos todos sentir… — Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) July 3, 2025 Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo led the tributes to his international team-mate. 'It doesn't make sense. Just now we were together in the National Team, just now you had got married,' Ronaldo said in a post on X alongside a photo of Jota. 'To your family, your wife, and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world.' Working towards our QF clash. 😤 — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 3, 2025 Chelsea will aim to secure a place in the Club World Cup semi-finals when they come up against Palmeiras in Philadelphia on Friday night (0200 Saturday BST). Saudi side Al-Hilal are out to follow-up their shock win over Manchester City when they take on Fluminense in Orlando. At Euro 2025, England boss Sarina Wiegman will hold a press conference ahead of the holders' opening match against France in Zurich. Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson is also set to speak to the media before the nation's first major tournament appearance, taking on the Netherlands in Lucerne. Elsewhere in Group C, Germany start their campaign against Poland in St Gallen after Denmark tackle Scandinavian rivals Sweden in Geneva.
