A champion with Liverpool and Portugal

At just 28 years old, Diogo Jota was at the top of his game. Only two months ago, he lifted the Premier League trophy with Liverpool, one of the biggest clubs in the world. And less than a month ago, he made history again: winning the 2025 UEFA Nations League with the Portugal national team, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, his longtime teammate and idol.

It was the perfect end to a remarkable season for a striker who gave his all for club and country. His place in the national team was well-established—with 49 senior caps—and his future was set on the 2026 World Cup, where he was expected to make his tournament debut.

“Yes forever”: his greatest love

But success wasn’t limited to football. On June 23, Jota married his lifelong partner, Rute Cardoso, the mother of their three children. On Instagram, he posted wedding photos with the caption “Yes forever”, and just one day before the crash, he shared a touching video titled: “A day we will never forget.”

He seemed to have it all—success, love, and stability. Everything pointed to a new and even brighter chapter, both on and off the pitch.

An unexpected ending

Tragedy struck with brutal force. In the early hours of July 4, the vehicle carrying Jota and his brother André Silva veered off the road in Zamora, Spain, and burst into flames.
Both brothers died at the scene.

The football world was left in shock. A heartbroken Cristiano Ronaldo shared an emotional message: “It makes no sense. Just now we were together on the national team, just now you got married.”

Diogo Jota had everything to keep shining—ready to make more history with his country and start a new journey as a husband and father. Today, his absence leaves an immeasurable void.