Diogo Jota’s funeral to start today: Liverpool star is being taken home to Portugal after fiery Lamborghini crash killed footballer and his brother
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Liverpool star Diogo Jota’s funeral will start at 3pm on Friday, just a day after he and his brother were killed in a fiery road smash.
The wake will take place in São Cosme, a half-hour drive from his home city of Porto, northern Portugal – where just two weeks ago the 28-year-old married his childhood sweetheart Rute in a Catholic service packed with family and friends. It will be followed by the funeral at 10am on Saturday.
Local priest Jose Manuel Macedo said the wake will take place at Sao Cosme Chapel before the funeral mass on Saturday morning at the Catholic church next door – the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar.
He told CNN Portugal on Thursday: ‘The bodies of the brothers will arrive at the resurrection chapel for the wake which will take place tomorrow and then the funeral will be at 10am on Saturday.
‘We’re available to celebrate [their life] with everyone and to share the pain and the Christian hope.’
On Thursday afternoon, hearses were spotted arriving at a funeral home in the Spanish town of Puebla de Sanabria, northwestern Spain, where their bodies were taken after the horror crash. It is understood they will be moved in the next couple of hours.
The tyre of the footballer’s acid green £180,000 Lamborghini Huracan is said to have blown out while overtaking another vehicle on the A-52 at Cernadilla near Zamora – just ten miles over the border from Portugal.
Jota and his brother Andre, 26, were on a road trip to Santander to catch a ferry to Britain after he was advised not to fly following lung surgery, it was reported in his home country on Thursday.
The acid green front of what appears to be the front of the Lamborghini Huracan lies at the side of the road where Diogo Jota and his brother died on Thursday. Their family and the world of football are mourning their tragic deaths near the town of Cernadilla, close to Zamora, Spain
Diogo Jota’s brother Andre, 26, was also a footballer and died in the crash. They were on a road trip through Spain to catch a ferry to the UK when they crashed, according to reports in Portugal
Diogo Jota had married his childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso, the mother of his three children, in the last fortnight. Here they are pictured on their wedding day
Local priest Jose Manuel Macedo said the wake will take place at Sao Cosme Chapel before the funeral mass on Saturday morning at the Catholic church next door – the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar (pictured)
Hearses were spotted arriving at a funeral home in the Spanish town of Puebla de Sanabria, northwestern Spain
The bodies of the two brothers were taken to the funeral home after the horror crash
The supercar crashed and caught fire, also igniting the surrounding vegetation
Tyre marks can be seen on the road where Jota’s Lamborghini overtook a car and then straight into the crash barriers. Tragically the crash claimed the lives of the Liverpool star and his brother Andre
Police are investigating the cause of the crash but believe based on the marks on the road, pictured, a tyre blew out just before the incident
Wreckage at the scene suggested the brothers were driving to the UK in a Lamborghini Huracan Evo Spyder.
It costs in the region of £180,000 before upgrades and has a top speed of in excess of 200mph. It can go from 0-60mph in 3.1 seconds.
It was not immediately clear who was driving but police have been looking into the possibility that the accident happened as a result of a blown tyre while the car tried to overtake another vehicle.
The brothers were driving eastward along an isolated stretch of highway, about an hour west of Zamora, when the accident took place.
Spanish government official Ángel Blanco said the siblings died at the scene.
Liverpool are due to start pre-season training on Monday, so Jota was heading back to the UK on a road trip with his brother less than two weeks after he married his childhood sweetheart Rute in his home city of Porto on June 22.
Doctors reportedly advised the Liverpool star not to catch a plane after a recent operation, so was getting a boat instead. A Brittany Ferries service from Santander to Plymouth leaves at 4pm on Thursday, arriving in Devon at 11.15am on Friday.
CNN Portugal’s sports editor Rui Loura said: ‘The surgery he had was lung surgery and he had been advised against flying following this.
Jota pictured (far right) with his wife Rute and younger brother Andre, who played in the Portuguese second tier
The remains of the Lamborghini that contained Diogo Jota and his brother Andre. Paramedics fought to save the men after the crash at around 12.35am on Thursday
An acid green piece of what is believed to be a panel from the Lamborghini lies at the side of the road where Diogo Jota and his brother died close to the Spanish city of Zamora
A drone view shows the site of the car accident where Diogo Jota died in a car crash
The couple have three children, pictured on the Anfield pitch in May after winning the Premier League
Diogo’s new wife Rute shared more wedding day pictures in a social media post yesterday and said: ‘My dream come true.’ Jota replied in the comments: ‘I’m the lucky one.’
‘He was on his way to the northern Spanish port city of Santander to cross by ferry and reach the UK that way and carry on with the car once he reached Britain. He was on his way to Liverpool with his brother.’
Another Portuguese journalist, Victor Pinto told the country’s CMTV channel: ‘Diogo sometimes chose to travel by road because he had some pulmonary discomfort, nothing serious, and as we know there is a ferry boat that connects the south of England to Spain’.
The supercar came off the road, rolled and then burst into flames at around 12.35am, also igniting the surrounding vegetation. The emergency services were called but the brothers could not be saved. Police say they don’t yet know who was driving.
Liverpool FC said in a statement that the club is ‘devastated’ by the tragedy and that Diogo’s family, friends and fans had suffered an ‘unimaginable loss’. Flowers and tributes are being laid outside Anfield on Thursday, with many fans in tears.
Jota had just married Rute Cardoso, the 28-year-old mother of his three children and partner since the age of 16. He had described himself as the luckiest man in the world to be her husband, sharing moving footage of their wedding day in his final Instagram post on Wednesday afternoon.
The couple married on June 22 in Porto, the footballer’s home city. Rute shared more wedding day pictures in a social media post yesterday and said: ‘My dream come true.’ Jota replied in the comments: ‘I’m the lucky one.’
The pair got together in 2013, it has been reported, and have three children together – two sons and a daughter who was born in November.
Jota frequently shared pictures of him and his family on his Instagram account, while his wife has posted images of their holidays in Dubai and Lapland. They also have three pet beagles.
Parts of the green Lamborghini the brothers were driving in have been pictured at the scene
Debris and burn marks are seen along the A-52 motorway at the crash site where Liverpool sriker Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Felipe died
The happy couple with their children Denis, Duarte, and a daughter born in 2024, whose name has not been revealed
Mr and Mrs Jota show off their rings after exchanging vows
Diogo and Rute leave the church on June 22. They later said on social media that they had both said: ‘Yes to forever.’
Jota described himself as the luckiest man in the world in an interview released yesterday after the couple walked down the aisle in Portugal
The couple shared pictures of their wedding on Instagram and Jota said it was ‘a day we will never forget’
A tribute left in honour of Jota at Anfield following his tragic death
Well-wishers leave flowers at a memorial set up close to Anfield football ground for their Portuguese forward
The Lamborghini crash happened on the A-52 in the province of Zamora. The Spanish dual carriageway is a key route taken by drivers after leaving northern Portugal as they head for the ports of Santander and Bilbao or drive north-east towards France.
Emergency services in the Castilla and Leon region confirmed the crash and two fatalities at around 12.35am on Thursday morning. Diogo and Andre’s deaths were then confirmed by the Portuguese Football Federation at around 8am.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Jota’s friend and teammate and Portugal’s greatest player, said on Thursday: ‘It doesn’t make any sense. Just now we were together for the national team, you were just married.
‘To your family, to your wife and children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. RIP. Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you’.
The footballer was born Diogo Silva, but changed his surname to Jota to stand out because it is a common surname. His brother Andre kept the family name.
The boys were the only children of parents Joaquim and Isabel Silva.
Jota was part of Liverpool’s Premier League-winning side in the 2024/25 campaign, scoring six goals in 26 appearances. He also played for Portugal’s national team and helped it win the Nations League last month in an extraordinary win over rivals Spain on penalties.
His younger brother played for Penafiel, in the second tier of Portuguese football.
The Spanish civil guard said he was found dead alongside his brother Andre Silva, after their car went off a road near the city of Zamora.
‘The 1-1-2 Castilla y León operations room received several calls reporting a vehicle accident at Km. 65 of the A-52, in the municipality of Cernadilla, Zamora. A car was reported to have been involved in an accident and the vehicle was on fire,’ a statement read.
‘1-1-2 notified the Zamora Traffic Police, the Zamora Provincial Council Fire Brigade, and the Sacyl Emergency Coordination Center (CCU) of this accident.
‘From there, a Medical Emergency Unit (UME) and the Primary Care Medical Staff (MAP) from the Mombuey Health Center were sent, who confirmed the death of two people on the scene’.
The Portuguese national football team have said they are ‘devastated’ by the death of Liverpool forward Diogo, adding that he ‘was not only a fantastic player with almost 50 caps for the national team, but also an extraordinary person who was respected by all his teammates and opponents’.
His death was confirmed by Pedro Proenca, head of the Portuguese Football Federation.
He said in a statement: ‘The Portuguese Football Federation and all of Portuguese football are completely devastated by the deaths of Diogo Jota and André Silva, on Thursday morning, in Spain.
‘Much more than an amazing player, with almost 50 internationalizations for the National A Team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all teammates and opponents, someone with an infectious joy and a reference in the community itself.
‘On my behalf, and on behalf of the Portuguese Football Federation, I express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diogo and André Silva, as well as Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs where, respectively, lined up the players.
‘The Portuguese Football Federation has already asked UEFA for a minute’s silence, this Thursday, before the match of our national team with Spain, in the women’s European Championship.
‘Lost to two champs. The disappearance of Diogo and Andre Silva represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football and we will do everything to, daily, honor their legacy’.
Jota joined Liverpool from Wolves in 2020 and won three major trophies with the Merseyside club – including the Premier League title last season.
Rute Cardoso, 28, who is the mother of his three children, is the beloved Portuguese athlete’s high school sweetheart and has been by his side since the star. Both pictured in 2012 as teenagers
Rute, pictured with Diogo in 2014, has been by his side since the pair attended high school together
He had just recently described himself as the luckiest man in the world – following the nuptials. Both in 2017
The couple had just tied the knot earlier this year. The young happy family pictured together in 2023
Diogo and Rute, pictured in a Liverpool shirt, just after her spouse won the league title with his team
Diogo with his wife Rute and two of their children
The couple got together in 2012, when they were teenagers
Jota moved to Liverpool from Wolves
The sporting world is in a state of shock and mourning, with tributes flooding in for Diogo after his death in a car accident, aged 28.
Gary Neville wrote on X: ‘That is heartbreaking news on Diogo Jota and his brother. All my love and best wishes to his family.’
Jota had reportedly been travelling in a car with his brother Andre, who is also a 26-year-old footballer, when the vehicle went off road and the tragic news comes just two weeks after Jota married his long-term girlfriend Rute Cardoso in Porto.
Jamie Carragher wrote: ‘Absolutely devastated by the sad news about Diogo Jota Thoughts are with his wife Rute & their three kids.’
Jota’s Portuguese and former Wolves team-mate Joao Neves added: ‘They say we only lose people when we forget them. I will never forget you.’
Former England striker Alan Shearer simply posted the word ‘heartbreaking’, while Stan Collymore described the news as ‘unfathomable’.
Tributes in memory of Liverpool player Diogo Jota at Anfield Stadium, home of Liverpool FC
Liverpool FC flag flies at half-mast at Anfield Stadium after Liverpool’s Portuguese footballer Diogo Jota
Liverpool shirts and scarves are seen beside flowers left at a memorial set up close to Anfield
Tributes outside Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, in memory of Diogo Jota who died in a car crash in Spain
Cristiano Ronaldo led tributes to his friend and teammate
Jota’s former clubs Atletico Madrid and Wolves have given moving statements
Diogo Jota’s death has led to an outpouring of tributes from the sporting world and beyond
Gary Neville shared his reaction to the tragic news of Jota’s death along with his brother, Andre
Jamie Carragher took to Instagram to share his reaction to the devastating news
He said his thoughts were particularly with the family Jota has left behind
David De Gea and Rio Ferdinand also shared tributes
A Liverpool fan cries outside Anfield
Shirts were also hung in tribute outside Liverpool’s stadium
Flowers were laid outside Anfield shortly after Jota’s death was revealed
‘I’m sure like many in the football family there’s just a profound sense of shock, sadness and disbelief at the news of Diogo Jota’s death at the unfathomably young age of 28. Newly married too,’ he said.
‘Sending my deepest condolences to his family and friends and everyone at Liverpool.’
Rivalries were of course put aside, with ex-Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea saying: ‘Sometimes life is very cruel,’ and Rio Ferdinand sharing: ‘Absolutely heartbreaking. My thoughts and prayers go out to Diogo Jota, Andre Silva, their family & friends!’
Jota’s former club Porto were the first of his old sides to offer their thoughts, writing: ‘FC Porto is in mourning. It is with shock and deep sorrow that we extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, who was also our athlete in the youth ranks. Rest in peace.’
And legendary Portugal defender Pepe spoke about the loss of his friend.
‘It was with great sadness that I received the news of the passing of Diogo Jota and his brother André. A premature, painful loss, which leaves us all poorer — as colleagues, as friends and as football lovers. In this moment of deep grief, I send my most sincere condolences to their family, friends and all who loved them. May they find strength in the love and memories they left behind. May they rest in peace,’ he wrote.’
Liverpool fans pay tribute to Diogo Jota, the talented footballer who lost his life in a fatal crash
Angela Rayner said she was ‘shocked’ by Jota’s death as she joined Liverpool fans and Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram at Anfield
Flowers and tributes are left outside Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium after Liverpool’s Portuguese soccer player Diogo Jota died in a car crash
Liverpool fans laid flowers and shirts at Anfield to honour the late forward
There were emotional scenes at Anfield as fans embraced each other following the death of Jota
And former Portugal manager Fernando Santos said the news had rendered him speechless.
He wrote: ‘I am shocked, speechless. It is a very sad moment for the family. It is a sad moment for everyone, especially for those who worked with him because everyone liked him.’
Clubs across the continent added their own tributes, including Sporting Lisbon, Braga and Napoli.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told the Commons the whole House ‘is heartbroken by this news’, adding: ‘I wanted to send our sympathies to his family on behalf of the whole House.’
