Diogo Jota's loving relationship with ‘number one fan' Rute Cardoso from meeting at school to heartbreaking wedding post
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
TOGETHER since their teens, Diogo Jota and new wife Rute Cardoso chased a footballing dream.
When his burgeoning career in their native Portugal resulted in a move to Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, she described herself as his 'best friend' and 'number one fan'.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
6
Diogo Jota and Rute Cardoso married on June 22
Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk
6
The couple were together for 13 years
6
They were joined at the ceremony by their three children
6
Rute supported Jota from an early age
Credit: Instagram
6
Their youngest child was born in December
Credit: Instagram
6
The pair were childhood sweethearts
Credit: Instagram
It was a shared ambition that would take them back to home town club Porto and then Wolverhampton Wanderers before his trophy-laden glory years at Liverpool's Anfield.
A couple who met at school aged 13, their marriage a mere 11 days ago sealed a romance that had already produced three cherubic children. Joyous wedding photographs, showing a young family on life's great journey, are now heartbreaking to look at.
Sons Dinis, four, and Duarte, two, are in the same dark blue jackets, cream waistcoats and blue ties as their footballer father.
A baby girl, not named publicly, wears a miniature tiara and ivory-coloured gown to match her mother.
Now Ruta is a widow at 28. The children lost both a father and an uncle in the terrible early hours crash on a lonely Spanish motorway.
Just 20 hours earlier, Diogo and Rute wrote on social media that their wedding was a 'day we will never forget'.
Under one photo, she wrote, 'My dream came true' — to which Diogo had replied: 'But I'm the lucky one.'
Social media images show family life including trips to Lapland and Sardinia, photos with pet beagles and in red strips of Liverpool on the pitch at Anfield and at Wembley.
It was a love forged in Portugal's beautiful second city Porto where forward Jota was born in December 1996.
His birth name was Diogo José Teixeira da Silva. As a promising, pacey young footballer he dropped his surname and used Jota which is the local pronunciation of 'J'.
'Heartbroken' Ronaldo leads tributes to Diogo Jota as football mourns Liverpool & Portugal star
Soon, his talents outgrew his local club Gondomar and, aged 16, he moved to lower league club Pacos de Ferreira.
Scout Ivo Rodrigues remembers watching Diogo in 2013.
He said: 'My eyes were drawn to him like a magnet. He was the youngest on the pitch but I saw he was going to be a star. He could do things that other ones could not.'
But attempts by Ivo to sign him for Guimaraes proved fruitless.
The year before, an Instagram image showed him with Rute in hoodies and jeans acting like typical teenagers.
In 2015, Jota's career might have stalled before it really began.
Pre-season tests revealed a heart problem.
Showing maturity beyond his years, he wrote: 'I knew it could mean quitting football, but I didn't believe for a second it was going to happen.'
A natural goalscorer, he would earn selection for Portugal's international youth teams and soon the big time beckoned.
He was snapped up by Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in 2016 when he was 19.
Rute wrote of his move: 'I'm anxious. Diogo only left this week, but I already miss him. We've been dating for four years and . . . it makes sense to follow him. In addition to being his girlfriend and best friend, I'm his number one fan, I want to be there.'
However, Diogo would never play for the Atletico first team and a month after joining went out on loan to Portuguese giants Porto.
At the time, his brother Andre Silva, 25 — also killed in yesterday's fireball crash — was with Porto's youth set-up.
Scoring eight goals in 27 appearances, Diogo's performances earned him another loan move the next season — this time to England with Wolves, then in the Championship.
His 17 league goals helped Wolves win promotion to the Premier League and secured a permanent move for a reported £12million.
Wolves finished seventh the next season as they qualified for the Europa League — a competition in which Diogo bagged an 11-minute hat-trick against Turkish side Besiktas after coming on as a sub.
In now poignant comments, he said after that game: 'It makes me proud. It's a story to tell my grandkids when I get old.'
He and Rute were able to enjoy the fruits of his success. Instagram photos she posted show her posing on his shoulders at Disneyland Paris and sight-seeing at the London Eye.
Captioning an image of them together on a sun-kissed beach in the Maldives, she wrote: 'And suddenly you see your entire future in one person.'
In September 2020, Liverpool snapped Diogo up for £45million. He and Rute had made it to one of world football's greatest clubs in the richest and most glamorous league.
Then-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said of Diogo: 'He has the speed, he can combine with other players, can defend, can press. It gives us real options for different systems.
'He's 23, still far away from being kind of a finished article — he has so much potential.'
A player blessed with the knack of scoring vital goals, he soon became a Kop favourite.
A terrace chant for him, including a reference to Portuguese great Luis Figo, went: 'He's a lad from Portugal, better than Figo don't you know, oh his name is Diogo!'
In the 2021-22 season, he scored 21 in 55 games — part of an impressive 65 goals in 182 appearances for Liverpool.
Hampered by injuries last season, his final goal for Liverpool showed just what a classy player he was.
In the Merseyside derby, he slalomed past Everton defenders in a packed box before slotting the ball home. His final match was for Portugal — his 49th cap — a victory over Spain to win the Uefa Nations League.
The close season gave him a chance to marry Rute.
Beneath a photo of the elegant couple at the altar, the new bride wrote on social media: 'Yes to forever.'
Diogo once described himself as 'a small guy that came from Gondomar, where I had this dream'.
With Rute at his side, he perhaps achieved more than he possibly imagined.
A tragedy that, at 28, this supremely talented player and dearly loved husband and dad had so much more to give.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
9 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
I make £10k a month giving women peachy bums and ‘abs for days' without surgery – I'm nicknamed the Sculpting Queen
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NON-SURGICAL cosmetic procedures – dubbed tweakments - are experiencing a surge in the UK. A recent survey revealed a 28 per cent rise in consumer spending on procedures such as Botox, fillers and skin rejuvenation in the past two years alone, highlighting a shift towards less invasive, safer enhancements. 7 Marie McCrory has been dubbed the Sculpting Queen thanks to her non-surgical procedures Credit: Instagram @xlbootybodysculpting 7 Marie earns up to £10,000 a month transforming her clients' bodies Credit: Instagram @xlbootybodysculpting 7 Marie's client Leanne had visible abs after three sessions Credit: Supplied Researchers at University College London predict that the UK injectables market will be worth a staggering £11.7bn by next year, thanks to the treatments being available everywhere from high-end clinics to local hair salons. And for mum-of-three Marie McCrory, the emerging industry has earned her the nickname 'the Sculpting Queen' from adoring clients thanks to her jaw-dropping results. The 46-year-old, based in Bathgate, only launched her business - @xlbootybodysculpting - last year and is already raking in up to £10,000-a-month. She is fully trained in body sculpting and offers treatments including non-surgical vacuum Brazilian Bum Lifts (BBLs) and tummy sculpts - the high-street solution for women who want to blitz belly fat or boost their booty. She told Fabulous: "I've been in and out of the beauty industry since 2004, but after having my daughter at 40, I felt a strong desire to work for myself again and create something flexible, fulfilling, and empowering. "I initially retrained in aesthetics, but once I discovered body sculpting, I was hooked. "I loved that it offered real, visible results and helped clients feel confident in their own skin without surgery. "Since launching, the response has been incredible—my business has grown rapidly, and I've even expanded into teaching others how to do the same. It's been life-changing." Marie's tummy sculpt procedure helps clients lose inches of stubborn fat from their stomach area. Meanwhile, the XL Booty is dubbed a safe alternative to BBL surgery and is performed using vacuum cups which Marie promises "gives instant results from the first session". I was rushed to A&E delirious after 'botched' BBL casued blood pools inside my body - I was hours from death Marie's prices start from just £80, with block bookings available. Clients can also cheat their way to 20,000 crunches or squats without stepping foot in the gym with the EMS machine which uses electrical pulses to stimulate the muscles. And for new mums, Marie offers up a pelvic floor seat which is equivalent to 11,000 pelvic floor exercises in just 30 minutes. "It's been absolutely life-changing for ladies with bladder issues after having kids", she told us. Other specialist treatments target body hang-ups including bingo wings, bra bulge and love handles. One of Marie's clients even has "abs for days" after just three 30-minute EMS sessions on her stomach. She said: "It honestly feels amazing to be able to offer a safer, non-invasive alternative to surgery. "So many people want to enhance their bodies, but the thought of going under the knife - or travelling abroad for risky procedures - can be really daunting. "With body sculpting, clients can achieve real, visible results without the risks, downtime, or long recovery periods that come with surgery. "I love that I can help people feel more confident and empowered in their own skin in a way that's safe, accessible, and affordable. It's all about enhancing what you already have." Marie, who used to work in recruitment, revealed the demand for body sculpting "grew so quickly" that she went from barely scraping by to consistently earning five figures in just a few months. "It's been such a financial relief", she smiled. "I'm not only fully booked for treatments weeks in advance but I also launched XL Booty training academy a few months ago and it's just went crazy. "I can earn around £6,000-£10,000 per month between the treatments and training academy." And she insists that her treatments are not a lazy approach when it comes to achieving your dream body. She said: "I wouldn't call these treatments lazy. They work best if the client is on a weight loss journey or they look after themselves eating-wise and some exercise too. "Water is key. They have to drink two to three litres of water a day especially with treatments like the tummy sculpt." Glowing reviews Marie has a long list of dedicated clients on her books and has racked up glowing reviews for the procedures she offers. One customer, Jane, booked in for a tummy sculpt and said: "I can't recommend Marie at XL Booty enough! After a really rough start to the year and having surgery my body was never the same. 7 Marie is fully booked weeks in advance Credit: Instagram @xlbootybodysculpting 7 Marie's client Jane could see a difference after one tummy sculpt session Credit: Supplied "I constantly felt bloated and a lot bigger than what I was before. It made me so insecure and I hated my stomach. "I tried everything to get my body back to the way it was before - the gym, diets, anything I could but nothing seemed to work until I found Marie. "She was so helpful and guided me through what the best treatment would be for myself. "After only one appointment I saw a massive difference. I've had two appointments now and can finally say I'm starting to love my body again and it's given me my confidence back!!" Another client, Karen, booked in for the non-surgical BBL after originally considering going under the knife. She gushed: "OMG I can't say how delighted I am with the results. Marie is so professional at what she does. She makes you feel really at ease and explains the whole process in great detail. "I found it pretty painless and I never imagined the instant results would be so good. She gets a five-star from me and now I have the best bum I ever wanted." 7 Delighted XL Booty client Zara had almost considered surgery for her bum Credit: Supplied 7 But she says she's received 'so many compliments' over her non-invasive procedure Credit: Supplied Someone else who opted for the XL Booty treatment has since hailed it as the "best decision" she's ever made. The customer, Zoe, said: "I decided to go to Marie after doing some research on bum enhancements. I had considered surgery but found this quite daunting with all the things that could go wrong. "After seeing all Marie's work and how safe and non-invasive they were I decided this was the right way to go and I was not disappointed. I had immediate results with no pain whatsoever. "I would highly recommend she was so professional and explained everything she was doing from start to finish. It was definitely the best decision I made. I received so many compliments afterwards."
Daily Mail
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
The 5 best Ikea hacks to turn basic furniture buys into stunning designer dupes, whatever your DIY level
IKEA furniture is the holy grail of budget decorating: functional, affordable, and of course, flat-packed. But if we're honest, sometimes those minimalist staples need a little zhuzh to stop your place looking like a cheaply furnished showroom. Enter the #IkeaHack hashtag, where social media users share clever tweaks to turn pieces into something more stylish and expensive looking. Whether it's turning £1 mirrors into a stunning statement design piece or crafting a Soho Home-worthy dupe from a plant pot and lazy susan, here are our favourite tricks to take your furniture from basic to brilliant. Picture ledges —> Light-up wall shelves @east_shore_home This IKEA Mosslanda hack was my most viewed of 2024! Who knew flip upturning them could create such a pretty feature! Everything I used for this diy is linked in my bio, led strip and connectors are linked in my Amazon storefront. ♬ original sound - Ashley | DIY & Interiors This clever trick to turn basic shelves into a sleek, light-up wall feature was shared by interiors account @east_shore_home and racked up over a million views. In the clip, DIY enthusiast Ashley takes three Mosslanda picture ledges and, instead of mounting them the usual way, flips them upside down. This hides the shelf's ridge underneath, leaving a clean, flat ledge on top. She then attaches LED strip lights to the undersides. The overhanging ridge – now facing forward since the shelves are upside down – neatly conceals the lighting. The result? Three chic, minimalist shelves with a warm glow. You'd pay hundreds for a ready-made designer version. Salad bowls —> Statement table View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cassandra Noel (@cassandranoelhome) This DIY job posted on Cassandra Noel's (@Cassandranoelhome) Instagram account has received millions of views and left users, in their own words, 'shook'. To start, Noel bought eight salad bowls, sticking them together with glue and then using wood filler to line any gaps. She then sanded them and stained them a deep brown colour for a luxe finish. To create the top, Noel bought a plain wood board and cut out a squiggle shape, staining it with the same shade as the bowls. After she left everything to dry, she finally secured it all in place – and the result was extraordinary. Dish rack —> Floating bookshelf This hack, reshared by Ideal Home, has been viewed upwards of 100,000, and is one of the easiest for DIY-phobes. All you need is a £2.50 Ikea wooden dish rack, and a paint colour that suits your decor. Give the plate rack a coat, leave it to dry, then stick it to the wall with glue on hooks or command strips. Voilà: a floating bookshelf. You can spruce it up with more LED light strips, stickers, or a hand-drawn design for a more personal, elaborate piece. Trixig paint pot £4 Shop Wall adhesives £3.50 Shop Lazy Susan —> Designer side table @frenchicpaint Steal this budget friendly DIY fluted IKEA side table hack and create your own on-trend piece without breaking the bank! 🤩 Frenchic Fan Forum member Kerry (over at @ shows us how she created her own designer dupe using a plant pot, lazy susan, wooden armrest tray and Frenchic! 🤍🌾 Opting for our durable and easy to use 'Browning Wax' to add an aged, rustic finish to wood and give the whole piece a more luxe-look. Who's feeling inspired? #Frenchic #FrenchicPaint #frenchictok #frenchicfan #ikeahack #ikeahacks #ikearodeby #browningwax #frenchicbrowningwax ♬ original sound - Frenchic Paint We've all seen those designer tables with fluted wooden bases (very Soho Home). But a clip shared by Kerry (AKA @klkinteriors) showing how to create a budget version might just be the greatest Ikea hack we've seen. It involves three pieces from Ikea: a £12 bamboo armrest tray, an £18 lazy susan and a £9 plant pot. Apply glue around the plant pot, then fold the malleable £12 fluted tray around. Turn upside down, and then apply plenty of glue to the plant pot's base, before sticking the lazy susan on top. For a final step, you can use a wood wax to give a more aged, rustic or sleek look. We're not kidding: this one is a serious bargain. Mini mirrors —> Statement black mirror View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anna | Affordable Decor, Hacks & Styling | UK (@our_home_style_) If you have a big blank space, @Our_Home_Style's nifty Ikea mirror hack is just the thing. To start, mark off the area you want to feature with masking tape, before using a paint roller and black paint to create a dark block. Remove the masking tape, and grab your Ikea mirrors, a ruler and some glue. The next bit is a little time consuming: you need to measure, mark and equally stick down the mirrors into rows across the black space. The result, however, is totally worth it: a huge statement mirror with none of the weight on your walls (or the hefty price tag). Job done. Trixig paint pot £4 Shop
Daily Mail
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Fans fear The Last Of Us has been 'ruined' after creator quits
After news spread that the creator of The Last Of Us Neil Druckmann had quit many feared that the series had been 'ruined' before season three has even kicked off. The smash-hit drama, which is named after the highly successful video game, launched in 2023. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey play the lead roles as Joel and Ellie and it follows a group of survivors two decades after a viral fungal infection almost wiped out humanity in its entirety. However, ahead of its third series, the show's creator sensationally quit. The 46-year-old Druckmann was responsible for the thriller's transition from a video game into a multi-season show. Announcing the news on Instagram Neil said: 'I've made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last Of Us on HBO. 'With work completed on season two and before any meaningful work starts on season three, now is the right time for me to transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects.' '[This includes] writing and directing our exciting next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, along with my responsibilities as Studio Head and Head Of Creative. 'Co-creating the show has been a career highlight. It's been an honor to work alongside Craig Mazin to executive produce, direct and write on the last two seasons.' Reacting to the news, fans flooded social media with comments, as one said: 'Oh god. This will be the final blow to the show.' A second posted: 'The episodes he was the director of were the best and highly rated either in season 1 or 2.' 'Season 3 already flopped even before filming,' said a third. While a fourth penned: 'Season 3 might lose its soul without Druckmann Mazin's good, but this story was born from Neil's mind.' The Last Of Us has proven popular with viewers and even critics, with the series receiving an impressive 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Series two concluded in May of this year, with some fans left furious over its ending they branded 'garbage'. It ended on a major cliffhanger over the character of Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and her fate following a confrontation with Abby (Kaitlyn Dever). The finale kicked off by following Ellie as well as Jesse (Young Mazino) and Dina (Isabela Merced) on their third day in Seattle - as Ellie continued her hunt for Abby to avenge Joel's (Pedro Pascal) death that occurred in episode two. The seventh episode - which is titled Convergence - built up to an explosive few minutes, leaving more than one character dead and questions left unanswered. However, viewers were less than thrilled with the finale, with some slamming its pacing and others simply calling it 'trash.'
