Liverpool football star Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain
The Civil Guard said a vehicle veered off a motorway and burst into flames shortly after midnight in the municipality of Cernadilla in the northwestern Zamora province, confirming the deaths of Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva.
"Everything points to the blowout of a tyre while it (the vehicle) was overtaking," the Civil Guard said in a statement, adding that the corpses had been taken to a morgue.
Local media published video footage showing debris and the charred, mangled remains of what they identified as Jota's Lamborghini on the side of a motorway.
Portugal great Cristiano Ronaldo paid tribute to Jota on X, saying the death "makes no sense" just weeks after his marriage and their UEFA Nations League title with the national team.
"We will all miss you," the superstar forward wrote.
Portuguese football federation president Pedro Proenca said he was "devastated", calling Jota "an extraordinary person, respected by all his colleagues and opponents, someone blessed with an infectious joy and a reference for his own community".
"We have lost two champions. The death of Diogo and Andre Silva are irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything possible to honour their legacy every day," Proenca wrote on social media.
He said they had asked UEFA for a minute's silence before Portugal's Women's Euro 2025 match against Spain in Switzerland on Thursday.
Liverpool said it was "devastated" by the "unimaginable loss" and that it would make no further comment for the privacy of the brothers' family, friends, teammates and club staff.
"We will continue to provide them with our full support," Liverpool added in a statement.
Liverpool fans had already begun laying flowers, scarves and other tributes at the club's Anfield stadium, British media reported.
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