Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty
- Liverpool soccer player Diogo Jotas has died in a car crash in Spain at the age of 28
- The Portuguese sportsman’s brother, André Silva, also died in the accident
- Jota’s death came just days after he married his long-term partner, Rue Cardoso, on June 22
Liverpool soccer star Diogo Jota has died in a car crash at the age of 28.
The Portuguese sportsman’s 26-year-old brother, fellow pro soccer player, André Silva, also died in the accident.
The incident took place in the Spanish province of Zamora, according to the BBC and Sky News, citing Spanish news agency EFE. Local police told the BBC that Jota and his brother died at about 12:30 a.m. local time on Thursday, July 3.
According to The Associated Press, the Spanish Civil Guard told the outlet that Jota and his brother were found dead after their car went off a road and ended up in flames.
Confirming Jota and his brother’s deaths, the Portuguese Football Federation shared a press release on Thursday and said they were “completely devastated.” Liverpool F.C. also shared a black-and-white photo of Jota on Instagram with the words, “Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.”
The player’s death comes just days after he married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he shares three children. The pair tied the knot on June 22, with Jota sharing a video from their nuptials on Instagram just hours before the crash.
“A day we will never forget 🤍,” he captioned the post.
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His wife also shared photos of their big day on June 28 with a caption (translated from Portuguese) that read, “June 22, 2025 • Yes to forever ♾️.”
The cause of the crash is being investigated by police, per the AP. Authorities said there were no other vehicles involved.
Diogo Jota with his wife Jute and two of their children. Diogo Jota/Instagram
In their release, the Portuguese Football Federation said a “tragic accident” had “fatally claimed the lives of Diogo Jota and his brother in Zamora, Spain.”
The federation’s president, Dr. Pedro Proença, also shared a statement and called their deaths “an irreparable loss for Portuguese football.
“The Portuguese Football Federation and the entire Portuguese football community are completely devastated by the deaths of Diogo Jota and André Silva, this morning in Spain,” the statement read in part. “Much more than a fantastic player, with almost 50 caps for the National A Team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all his 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 Jota, as well as to Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs where the players played, respectively,” the statement continued.
“We have lost two champions. The passing of Diogo and André Silva represents an irreparable loss for Portuguese football and we will do everything we can to honour their legacy every day.”
The statement also added that they have asked UEFA to hold a minute’s silence before the Portuguese women’s team game at the Women’s European Championship on Thursday.
Diogo Jota wearing the Portuguese national soccer team’s shirt for a portrait ahead of the UEFA Nations League 2025 Finals. Carlos Rodrigues – UEFA/UEFA via Getty
Jota celebrated winning the Premier League with Liverpool back in May. He joined the club in September 2020 from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a fee of $54 million, according to Sky News.
He made nearly 50 appearances for the Portuguese national team and scored 14 goals.
PEOPLE has reached out to Liverpool Football Club for comment.
