Incredible moment MLS hero dedicates late winner to Diogo Jota after Liverpool star's tragic death
With his team down to 10 men, Mukhtar stepped up from the spot in the 11th minute of stoppage time and smashed the ball past Philadelphia goalkeeper Andre Blake to snatch a last-gasp 1-0 win for Nashville in front of their own supporters.
And after wheeling away in delight, the German player quickly dedicated that late strike to Jota following his tragic death this week.
The Liverpool star, who helped the club win the Premier League title last season, and his younger brother Andre Silva were killed in a car accident early Thursday morning when the tire on his Lamborghini blew out and sent the supercar careering off the road close to the Portuguese border in northwestern Spain.
The soccer world has been left devastated by his loss, with tributes pouring in over the past four days.
Mukhtar made sure to pay his respects to Jota after his heroic moment against Philadelphia, with the 30-year-old doing so by sitting on the turf and mimicking his famous gaming celebration.
100TH MINUTE...
HANY MUKHTAR DELIVERS 😤 pic.twitter.com/e8FnGX5LHP
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 6, 2025
A number of his teammates also joined him in recreating the celebration, which Jota memorably pulled out after a 94th-minute winner against Tottenham in 2023.
Several tributes have been made for the Portuguese forward in Club World Cup matches this week, with a number of stars playing through the emotional pain of losing their teammate and friend.
Fellow Portugal international Pedro Neto displayed a shirt in tributes to Diogo and Andre before Chelsea's 2-1 win over Palmeiras, while other international colleagues Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves welled up with tears before Al-Hilal's 2-1 defeat by Fluminense.
Jota was travelling in his Lamborghini with younger brother Andre, also a professional soccer player, when one of its tires is said to have blown out and sent it off the road.
After rolling over, the Lamborghini then burst into flames at around 12.35am. The emergency services were called but the brothers could not be saved. Police say they don't yet know who was driving.
Jota had just married Rute Cardoso, the 28-year-old mother of his three children and partner since the age of 16, a fortnight before his tragic passing.
The Premier League winner had described himself as the luckiest man in the world to be her husband, sharing moving footage of their wedding day in his final Instagram post on Wednesday afternoon.
Liverpool FC said in a statement that the club is 'devastated' by the tragedy and that Diogo's family, friends and fans had suffered an 'unimaginable loss'. Flowers and tributes were laid outside their Anfield stadium on Thursday, with many fans in tears, while a host of teammates, coaches and friends attended his funeral on Saturday.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Jota's friend and teammate and Portugal's greatest player, said on Thursday: 'It doesn't make any sense. Just now we were together for the national team, you were just 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. RIP. Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you'.
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