A farewell in the town where it all began

The funeral for Portuguese footballers Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva will be held on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local time in Gondomar, a town near Porto where Jota began his career, according to local media.

The ceremony will take place at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar, the main church in the city, and the bodies will later be laid to rest in the local cemetery. A wake will be held the day before, Friday, starting at 4:00 p.m. at the church's funeral chapel.

Portugal and world football still in mourning

Diogo Jota, 28, and his brother André, 25, tragically lost their lives early Thursday morning in a traffic accident on the A-52 near Cernadilla, in the Spanish province of Zamora. The news has deeply shaken Portugal and the global football community.

Jota came up through the youth ranks of Gondomar and Paços de Ferreira, then joined Atlético de Madrid in 2016. He was later loaned to FC Porto before moving to the English Premier League, first with Wolverhampton and since 2020 with Liverpool, where he became a key figure.

His brother André Felipe Silva also pursued a football career, playing for Futebol Clube Penafiel, a second division side in Portugal. Both were beloved in their communities, and their bodies are expected to arrive in Portugal on Thursday night, ahead of the official services.