Diogo Jota, soccer forward for Liverpool and Portugal, dies in car crash with his brother

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Diogo Jota, seen during an English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Burnley in February 2024, died Thursday in a car crash in Spain. (Jon Super / Associated Press)
Liverpool FC and Portugal forward Diogo Jota and his brother, fellow soccer player André Silva, died in a car crash early Thursday morning, Spanish authorities said Thursday. Jota was 28, and Silva was 25.
The brothers were found dead near Zamora, Spain, the country's Civil Guard confirmed to the Associated Press. Police are investigating the cause of the accident, which occurred just after midnight when the Lamborghini the brothers were riding in veered off the road and burst into flames.
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No other vehicles were involved and the brothers were alone in the car, police said. It's unclear which brother was driving.
"We have lost two champions," Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença said in a statement. "The passing of Diogo and André Silva represents an irreparable loss for Portuguese football and we will do everything we can to honor their legacy every day."
Football fans stand next to tributes left Thursday at Anfield Stadium in memory of Liverpool player Diogo Jota.
(Ian Hodgson / Associated Press)
Jota, whose full name was Diogo José Teixeira da Silva, was known as a clinical finisher. Early in his professional career, Jota played for such teams as Paços de Ferreira, Atlético Madrid and the Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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He signed with Liverpool in 2020 and went on to score 65 goals in 182 games for the Reds. The organization said in a statement that it is "devastated" by Jota's death.
"Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre's family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss," the team wrote.
Lakers star LeBron James, a minority Liverpool owner, referenced the team's unofficial anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone" as he paid tribute to Jota on X.
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"My prayers goes out to his loved ones during this time!" James wrote. "May you all be guided and protected! YNWA JOTA!!"
Jota played nearly 50 games for Portugal as well. He made the 2022 World Cup squad, but was unable to play because of injury. Jota's final match was Portugal's 5-3 win in a penalty shoot-out over Spain in the Nations League final June 8. About two weeks later, Jota married Rute Cardoso, who was his childhood sweetheart and mother of their three young children.
'It doesn't make any sense,' Jota's Portugal teammate Cristiano Ronaldo wrote in Portuguese on X. 'Just now we were together in the national team, just now you had gotten married. My condolences to your family, to your wife and to your children. I wish them all the strength in the world. I know that you will always be with them. Rest in peace, Diogo and André. We will all miss you.'
Cristiano Ronaldo, left, celebrates with Portugal teammate Diogo Jota during a Euro 2020 qualifying match in Luxembourg in November 2019.
(Francisco Seco / Associated Press)
Silva was a midfielder for the Liga Portugal 2 squad Penafiel.
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A moment of silence for the brothers will be observed at all UEFA Women's Euro 2025 matches on Thursday and Friday, including the Spain-Portugal game Thursday at noon PDT.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.