Diogo Jota, the former Portuguese international and revered Liverpool forward, passed away in a car crash. The attack took place in Spain’s northwestern province of Zamora. The one incident that went catastrophically wrong that ended his younger brother’s life, Andre Silva. He had been a creative playmaking midfielder for FC Penafiel, Portugal’s second division. Preliminary investigations show that Jota was probably in excess of the speed limit at the time of the accident. Evidence indicates that he had a tire blowout while attempting to pass another vehicle.
Having celebrated his wedding to Rute Cardoso on June 22, Jota posted a vibrant and moving video from the ceremony just hours before the tragedy struck. Tragically, a fatal crash followed not long after. The couple had three children together, and Joe’s unexpected loss has reportedly sent shockwaves through their family and the football community.
According to the Civil Guard, “the marks left by one of the vehicle’s wheels … everything points to a possible excessive speed beyond the road’s speed limit.” This alarming statement is indicative of the broader issues related to Jota’s speed leading up to the fatal crash. Each test so far has shown that he was the actual driver of the car.
The crash was bad enough that it caused the car to explode into flames, making rescue efforts even more difficult. Eyewitnesses called it the worst carnage that they’d ever seen. Emergency responders arrived on the scene, but they were unable to revive Jota and Silva.
From there, Jota had a legendary career scoring 65 goals for Liverpool in 5 seasons. He was instrumental in having that same team win both the League Cup and FA Cup in the 2021-2022 season. His contributions were key as Liverpool secured their historic joint 20th English league title last season. He played 49 times for Portugal. Earlier this year, he played an important role in the national team’s first ever UEFA Nations League title.
He began his professional career with Atletico Madrid. From there, he transferred to Porto and then on to Wolverhampton Wanderers, before making the leap to Liverpool in 2020. His contributions to the game of football were celebrated far and wide. His tragic and sudden passing has been met by an incredible response from fans and current players mourning his loss.
