Photo caption: Families grieve after the funeral ceremony of Liverpool’s Portuguese forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in Gondomar, on the outskirts of Porto, on July 5, 2025…PHOTO: AFP
Liverpool forward, Diogo Jota, and his brother, Andre Silva, were laid to rest in Portugal on Saturday morning, days after their tragic death in a car crash in Spain.
According to Sky Sports UK, Jota’s wife and family were joined by several Liverpool players, including head coach, Arne Slot, and club captain Virgil van Dijk, for the funeral service held at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in the town of Gondomar, near Porto.
Photo caption: Liverpool boss Arne Slot was in attendance…Photo Credit: Sky Sports
The 27-year-old forward died alongside his brother when the Lamborghini they were travelling in burst into flames after a suspected tyre blowout around 12:40 a.m. on Thursday.
Photo caption: Jota’s ex-Wolves team-mate Joao Moutinho was in attendance…Photo Credit: Sky Sports
The pair had reportedly been in Spain, and no other vehicles were involved in the crash.
Jota had married his long-time partner Rute Cardoso just 11 days before the fatal incident.
He is survived by his wife and three children.
During the funeral service, the coffins of Jota and Silva were carried into the church as bells tolled and crowds applauded.
Mourners followed closely behind, some holding one another for support.
In attendance were several of Jota’s Liverpool teammates, Andy Robertson, Conor Bradley, Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones, Darwin Nunez, and Joe Gomez.
Also present were members of Portugal’s national team, including Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Joao Felix and Renato Veiga (Chelsea), Nelson Semedo (Wolves), Joao Moutinho, Rui Patricio, Ruben Neves, as well as former Liverpool player Fabinho, Porto president Andre Villas-Boas, and Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez.
Photo caption: Jota’s Portugal team-mate Ruben Dias was in attendance…Photo Credit: Sky Sports
Sky Sports also reports that Ruben Neves served as one of the pallbearers, having flown in from Florida, where he had just featured for Al Hilal in the Club World Cup quarter-final on Friday night.
Some of the players brought wreaths shaped like football shirts to the church.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez said, “They are (have been) really sad days, as you can imagine, but today we have shown we are a very large, but close family.
“We are Portugal, and it was essential for us that [with] Andre Silva and Diogo Jota, we are together and we will always be together and their spirit will be with us forever.
“Thank you very much for your messages, for your support and everything that we have received (from) all over the world. It means a lot and today we are all one football family.”
Bernardo Silva also paid tribute to his fallen teammate in an emotional interview with Portuguese broadcaster TVI
Silva said, “I can’t even imagine the pain of the family, of Rute, of the children, of the parents.
“I must talk a little about Jota, who was a great friend to all of us.
“His career, although not the most important thing, speaks for itself. His passion, will and determination allowed him to succeed in life and have a brilliant career.
“More important than that, as a person, the memories that remain. Jota will remain in our hearts forever.
“He will always be present at all breakfasts, lunches, dinners, national team gatherings, PlayStation or card games.
“It is a very tough episode for all of us, because we spent a lot of time together. The memories I have with him are fantastic.
“These happy memories will remain; he will be present in every victory.
“We were rivals and team-mates for many years. He became a great friend.
“He was present at my wedding.
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t at his, because I was at the Club World Cup.
“It is a family that will always be with us and that we will try to preserve.”
After the service, the coffins were carried to the cemetery next to the church, Sky Sports added.
