Neves cries inconsolably, Cancelo on his knees as Portuguese duo breaks down during moment of silence for Diogo Jota

Hindustan Times

5 hours ago

Portugal duo Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo weren't able to control their emotions and broke down in tears during the moment of silence for Diogo Jota during the FIFA Club World Cup match between Al Hilal and Fluminense. The tragic demise of Jota and his brother Andre Silva sent shockwaves through the footballing world, and Neves and Cancelo were seen visibly emotional about the loss of their Portuguese teammate. Ruben Neves, Joao Cancelo broke down in tears during moment of silence for Diogo Jota(X Images)
A moment of silence was held for Jota and Silva ahead of the quarterfinal clash at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. Cancelo and Neves, still reeling from the shock, were seen in tears as they remembered their close friend and national teammate Jota, with whom they recently celebrated UEFA Nations League glory for Portugal.
Ahead of the match, Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi said Jota's demise had impacted his team's Portuguese duo.
"We all know it's a sad day because of what happened to Diogo and Andre, unfortunately, these are things that shouldn't happen, which happened," said the Italian in press conference.
"As we are all aware, we have two Portuguese players, Ruben Neves and Cancelo, who were very close to the guys. Clearly today was a difficult day for everyone. We tried to work but clearly, the atmosphere today was not the same as other days. It was a tragedy," he added.
Al-Hilal knocked out of FIFA Club World Cup
Meanwhile, the Saudi side, Asia's last hope in the tournament, exited in the quarterfinals after falling short against Fluminense. They had stunned the footballing world earlier with a dramatic 4-3 extra-time win over Manchester City in the second round, and remained unbeaten in the group stage—including a memorable draw against Real Madrid. Though their campaign ends here, they leave with heads held high, having delivered one of the tournament's most unforgettable upsets and firmly announced themselves on the global stage.
Super-sub Hercules netted his second goal in as many second-half outings, propelling Fluminense to a 2-1 victory in the quarterfinals and securing their place in the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals. Fluminense could yet face an all-Brazilian semi-final if their rivals from Sao Paulo, Palmeiras, are able to overcome Premier League outfit Chelsea in Friday's other quarter-final.